overmedicate

verb

over·​med·​i·​cate ˌō-vər-ˈme-də-ˌkāt 

overmedicated; overmedicating

transitive verb

: to administer too much medication to

Avoid overmedicating patients prior to surgery.

: to prescribe too much medication for

But some doctors are increasingly wary about overmedicating people with osteopenia.

—Harvard Health Letter

overmedicated adjective

But the question remains: Is America grossly overmedicated?

—Andrea Bartz

overmedication

ˌō-vər-ˌme-də-ˈkā-shən 

noun

Many others are victims of a system that traffics in superfluous equipment, unnecessary and potentially harmful surgery, overmedication, and questionable procedures.

—Consumer Reports

Examples of overmedicate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The defense is arguing that she was overmedicated and experiencing auditory hallucinations in which a male voice told her to kill the kids. — Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2026

Reddington has argued Clancy should not be held criminally responsible because she was overmedicated and suffering from postpartum psychosis. — Matt Schooley, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026

The defense has argued that Lindsay Clancy was overmedicated and that her care was disjointed, with doctors not speaking to one another or sharing notes. — Leah Willingham, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026

The defense does not dispute that Lindsay killed her children but argues that she was overmedicated and suffering from postpartum psychosis, leaving her not criminally responsible. — Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for overmedicate

• borosilicate
• decontaminate
• deoxycholate
• deteriorate
• differentiate
• diisocyanate
• dinoflagellate
• excommunicate
• incapacitate
• insubordinate
• intercorporate
• interpenetrate

Medical Definition

overmedicate

verb

over·​med·​i·​cate -ˈmed-i-ˌkāt 

overmedicated; overmedicating

transitive verb

: to administer too much medication to : prescribe too much medication for

intransitive verb

: to administer or prescribe too much medication

overmedication

-ˌmed-i-ˈkā-shən 

noun