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

Avoid hiking in extremely hot temperatures, as dogs are more susceptible to overheating. —Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025

These storms can also damage key technological infrastructure, such as by interfering with the flow of electricity in the power grid and causing transformers to overheat and fail. —Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti, The Conversation, 13 Oct. 2025

The linen-blend material offers just the right amount of insulation without overheating, and is 100% machine washable for breezy laundry days. —Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Oct. 2025

The canvas material kept feet from overheating while running errands or commuting, and the soles didn’t show any signs of wear, even after multiple outings. —Averi Baudler, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 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