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

In a pinch on the road or during some other emergency, anything reasonably compatible is better than allowing the engine to overheat. — John Paul Senior Manager Public Affairs and Traffic Safety Aaa Northeast, Hartford Courant, 15 Aug. 2026

To date, per the CPSC, the company has received at least 19 reports of the products smoking, sparking, burning, melting, overheating or catching fire. — ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026

Puck's owner didn't know that dogs overheat much more easily than humans. — Kara Finnstrom, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026

Even power banks and any other devices with lithium-ion batteries must be in a carry-on due to risks of overheating. — Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 11 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