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

According to an email to residents, a fire pump motor overheated and burst into flames that day. —Suzanne Le Mignot, CBS News, 18 Dec. 2025

Data centers use water, primarily for the evaporative cooling of computers, to keep them from overheating, much like fans do on laptops. —Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 17 Dec. 2025

The microwave filter is crucial for protecting your microwave's internal parts from gunk getting stuck or the fans from overheating. —Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 16 Dec. 2025

For instance, these deerskin driving gloves by Paul Stuart, which feature perforated detailing and open panels at the knuckles to ensure that hands won’t overheat while comfortably gripping a wood-grain steering wheel. —Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 15 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