overtreat

O1V4E1R1T1R1E1A1T1

verb

To subject to excessive medical treatment, often to such an extent as to cause adverse effects.

Scrabble 12
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Meanings

verbovertreat (third-person singular simple present overtreats, present participle overtreating, simple past and past participle overtreated)

present singular third person overtreats · participle present overtreating · participle past overtreated · past overtreated

  1. transitivemedicineTo subject to excessive medical treatment, often to such an extent as to cause adverse effects.

    Also, overtreated patients become more insulin-resistant, and this gradually reverses as insulin doses are reduced.

    2002, Anthony L. McCall, “Insulin Therapy and Hypoglycemia”, in Insulin Therapy, →ISBN, page 217
    1 more example

    The traditional physician in Astoria who overtreated me for a case of syphilis six and a half years ago to the tune of twelve penicillin shots plus three weeks' worth of penicillin pills.

    1977 February 12, Bruce Michael Gelbert, “Some New York Alternatives”, in Gay Community News, volume 4, number 33, page 5

Origin

From over- + treat.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish ylihoitaa
  • ylihoitaato subject to excessive medical treatment
Hungarian túlkezel
  • túlkezelto subject to excessive medical treatment
Polish leczyć nadmiernie
  • leczyć nadmiernieto subject to excessive medical treatment
Cite this entry
APA

overtreat. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overtreat

MLA

“overtreat.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overtreat. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “overtreat,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overtreat.

Source: overtreat on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.