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

Always remove the wrappings as soon as temperatures rise into the 40s to prevent overheating the plant. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 2 Jan. 2026

The shoe features lightweight cushioning that provides a bouncy step without weighing you down, and the breathable mesh upper ensures your feet won’t overheat, even in warm climates. —Genevieve Cepeda, Travel + Leisure, 30 Dec. 2025

There's just something about cotton sweaters that feels so right—they're always soft and somehow keep you warm while also preventing overheating. —Natalie Cantell, InStyle, 29 Dec. 2025

Gold's resilience was demonstrated by its quick recovery after retreating from a previous peak of $4,381 in October, when the rally was seen as overheated. —Arkansas Online, 27 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for overheat

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