overcook
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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overcooksimple
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overcookssimple
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have overcookedperfect
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has overcookedperfect
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am overcookingprogressive
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are overcookingprogressive
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is overcookingprogressive
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have been overcookingperfect progressive
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has been overcookingperfect progressive
Past
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overcookedsimple
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had overcookedperfect
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was overcookingprogressive
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were overcookingprogressive
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had been overcookingperfect progressive
Future
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
As Juliet, Emma Marhefka’s lyric soprano was best in dramatic moments, such as Act 4’s poison aria; as Romeo, Leonardo Sánchez tended to overcook his tenor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
I say to people now just treat it like male grooming – don't overcook it.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2025
Professor Williams added: "I don't think it's useful as pasta, sadly, as it would overcook in less than a second, before you could take it out of the pan."
From Science Daily ● Nov. 21, 2024
As Winslow explained — dicing chicken, browning andouille sausage, saving the shrimp for last, so it doesn’t overcook — Harris punctuated his narration with a series of small interjections.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 4, 2024
“Heat it up, girl. And you bet’ not overcook it.”
From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas
Firming the whites faster with vinegar simply overcooks them before the yolks are ready.
From Salon ● Dec. 8, 2021
Nova Y. Payton sings some long, gorgeous phrases in the bluesy ballad “Mean to Me,” but then the finish overcooks the melodrama.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 31, 2019
If your poaching water’s too hot, the meat overcooks; if you leave the meat in the water too long, it overcooks; if you use too little water, the meat_you guessed it_undercooks.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 31, 2018
Pro tip: Elk is super lean and overcooks easily.
From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2018
The scrum-half puts his box kick over the top, but overcooks it by a fair old bit and the ball goes trundling over the dead ball line.
From The Guardian ● Oct. 11, 2015
Tech stocks have had a bumpy ride because of fears that the buzz around artificial intelligence may not match reality and that shares in the sector are overcooked.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
But the author’s overcooked ending—“like a tyrant with an iron fist”—shows where Mr. Stuttard comes down.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026
His only slip-up came on the short par-four third, where he badly overcooked his second and took three putts from 49 feet.
From BBC ● Apr. 9, 2026
Musk’s lawyers use some overcooked language that may remind you who they are working for.
From Slate ● Apr. 25, 2025
I could have done a better job cleaning the grit from the morels, and the tart was a shade overcooked.
From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan
It “helps stop me from overcooking it. I don’t think anyone had done that before, or at least not in the competition.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2025
For seafood, make sure the pieces are big enough to get a bit of color on the outside without overcooking throughout.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 30, 2023
It's getting the pastry crispy without the custard overcooking and getting that beautiful brown spots on the surface.
From Salon ● May 29, 2023
Roasting shrimp for shrimp cocktail intensifies their sweet saline flavor and makes them exceptionally plump and tender, with less chance of overcooking than the traditional poaching.
From Seattle Times ● May 29, 2023
They effortlessly open with a few jokes about fires and feathers and overcooking poultry.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
