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

Compared to standard phone batteries, which eventually wear out or overheat, redox flow batteries use large tanks of liquid electrolytes to safely store power rather than solid electrodes. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 4 May 2026

Lithium ion batteries that contain nickel, magnesium and cobalt (NMC), which are used in many smartphones, can be prone to overheating and catching fire, according to the National Fire Protection Association. —Sofi Zeman may 2, Kansas City Star, 2 May 2026

Plus, like many budget stand mixers, it can only be used for a few minutes at a time to prevent its motor from overheating. —Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026

Their mesh fabric prevents feet from overheating, too, making these shoes a great choice for spring’s hotter days as well as summer wear. —Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 26 Apr. 2026

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