Overkill is a slang term for the use of excessive force that seems to go much further than necessary to achieve its goal. For example, shooting an ant with a rocket launcher would be overkill. Slang is the use of highly informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speakers dialect or language. ... For other uses, see Ant (disambiguation). ... Shoulder-launched weapons avoid the problem of recoil by directing all exhaust out the rear of the launch tube A shoulder-launched missile weapon is a weapon that fires a projectile at a target, yet is small enough to be carried by one person, and fired while held on one...

Criminology

In criminal profiling, overkill refers to the aggressions done by an offender (especially a serial killer) to satisfy his fantasies, and that are not necessary to kill the victim. They are often carried-out post mortem. Offender profiling is a behavioral and investigative tool that helps investigators to profile an unsub (unknown subject) or offenders. ... Serial killers are individuals who have a history of multiple slayings of victims who were usually unknown to them beforehand. ... An autopsy (also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy or obduction) is a medical procedure that consists of a thorough examination performed on a corpse after death, to evaluate disease or injury that may be present and to determine the cause and manner of a persons death. ...

Nuclear weapons

Overkill is especially used to refer to a destructive nuclear capacity exceeding the amount needed to destroy an enemy.[1] The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 kilometers (11 mi) above the hypocenter A nuclear weapon derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions of fusion or fission. ...

The term was probably coined in the 1940s and was in common use during the Cold War era, referring to the arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union. Both nations possessed (and still possess) more than enough nuclear weapons to destroy one another many times over — nuclear overkill. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... The term arms race in its original usage describes a competition between two or more parties for military supremacy. ...

In movies

In a critical sense, overkill might be considered a close relative of overacting and overdramatizing.^{[citation needed]} For example, in most modern horror films, such as Friday the 13th, most of the killing is quickly clichéd, and is always an overkill. For instance, when someone has fallen three stories onto the pavement, it would be overkill to hack them up with a chainsaw. This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Friday the 13th is a 1980 independent slasher film directed by Sean S. Cunningham and written by Victor Miller. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

In video games

Overkill is a common feature in many video games. In some games, such as Final Fantasy X, "overkill" is made part of the battle system; finishing off an enemy with a very high-damage attack may give bonus rewards after battle. Overkill is also one of the killing spree achievements in Halo 2. The Overkill Medal is awarded for killing 25 opponents in a row without dying. It is available in all multiplayer game types. Final Fantasy X ) is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix), and the tenth installment in the Final Fantasy video game series; it was released in 2001, and is the first numbered Final Fantasy game for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console. ... This article is about the video game. ...