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

Where to Place Bird Baths Locating bird baths in part shade keeps bird bath water fresh longer and makes sure baths don’t overheat during the hot summer months. — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 July 2026

Powerful lasers needed to generate flight-level electricity caused small receivers to overheat rapidly, destroying their efficiency and melting components before usable energy could be delivered. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 29 July 2026

Second, today’s economy is not overheating with gangbusters demand. — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 28 July 2026

Other bonus points go to the mesh upper, which keeps your feet from overheating, as well as the cushy insole. — Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 27 July 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