over·dose
ˈō-vər-ˌdōs 
1
: too great a dose (as of a therapeutic agent)
also
: a lethal or toxic amount (as of a drug)
2
: an excessive quantity or amount
an overdose of fun
over·dose
ˌō-vər-ˈdōs
overdosed; overdosing; overdoses
: to give an overdose or too many doses to
: to take or experience an overdose
—usually used with on
Examples of overdose in a Sentence
Noun
She died from a cocaine overdose.
Recent Examples on the Web
Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 18 July 2024
Funder is a mother from California whose 15-year-old son, Weston, died of an accidental fentanyl overdose in 2022.
—Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 17 July 2024
Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 8 June 2024
Prosecutors allege that drug paraphernalia was found in the room where the boy overdosed
The parents of an 8-year-old boy who fatally overdosed on fentanyl in July 2023 have now been charged with murder in his death.
—Liam Quinn, Peoplemag, 5 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for overdose 
Noun
Councilman Mark Conway reached out to the Scott administration for hearings on the alarming scale of drug overdose deaths revealed by The New York Times.
—Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 18 July 2024
Funder is a mother from California whose 15-year-old son, Weston, died of an accidental fentanyl overdose in 2022.
—Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 17 July 2024
Verb
Prosecutors said one of the two inmates who overdosed on the drugs provided by Stanley would’ve died without medical treatment.
—Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 8 June 2024
Prosecutors allege that drug paraphernalia was found in the room where the boy overdosed
The parents of an 8-year-old boy who fatally overdosed on fentanyl in July 2023 have now been charged with murder in his death.
—Liam Quinn, Peoplemag, 5 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for overdose
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overdose.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near overdose
Cite this Entry
“Overdose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overdose. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
overdose
2 of 2 verb
over·dose
ˌō-vər-ˈdōs
1
: to give an overdose or too many doses to
2
: to take or experience an overdose
overdosed on heroin
Medical Definition
overdose
1 of 2 noun
over·dose
ˈō-vər-ˌdōs
: too great a dose (as of a therapeutic agent)
an overdose of exposure to the sun—Morris Fishbein
Morris Fishbein
also
: a lethal or toxic amount (as of a drug)
overdose
2 of 2 verb
over·dose
ˌō-vər-ˈdōs
overdosed; overdosing
: to give an overdose or too many doses to
: to take or experience an overdose
—usually used with on
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