overheat

verb

over·​heat ˌō-vər-ˈhēt 

overheated; overheating; overheats

transitive verb

1

: to heat to excess

2

: to stimulate or agitate unduly

intransitive verb

: to become heated beyond a safe or desirable point

Examples of overheat in a Sentence

I overheated the food in the microwave.

Be careful not to overheat the engine.

Recent Examples on the Web

Some Korean beauty creators also describe using it when their skin feels overheated or reactive after exposure to the country’s changing weather and humidity. — Sophie Dunne, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026

Temperatures on the Lido were sweltering, which left A-listers on the verge of overheating on the red carpet. — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026

Many economists believe that final round of stimulus relief overheated the economy and fed inflation, which has vexed the American public for the past five years. — Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026

Entertainment bots come with different engineering challenges, like whether a costume obscures vision or causes overheating. — J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 9 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for overheat

• bittersweet
• incomplete
• indiscreet
• marguerite
• obsolete
• overeat
• parakeet
• stillingfleet
• superheat
• amit
• athlete
• backseat