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

The burning of fossil fuels is poisoning the air our kids breathe and endangering their present and future by overheating our planet. — Catarina Rolfsdotter-Jansson, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026

An overly stuffy arena in Toronto on Tuesday led to Mitchell feeling overheated and sitting the entirety of the fourth quarter out of an abundance of caution. — Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026

My mom is always raving about Quince for its selection of breathable, sophisticated clothes that keep her from overheating. — Rylee Johnston, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026

Menopause, perimenopause, night sweats and certain health conditions can make overnight overheating a year-round problem. — Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 20 Aug. 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