overcook
Americanverb (used with object)
-
overcooks,
present (3rd person singular)
-
overcooked,
past participle, past
-
overcooking
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
overcooksimple
-
overcookssimple
-
have overcookedperfect
-
has overcookedperfect
-
am overcookingprogressive
-
are overcookingprogressive
-
is overcookingprogressive
-
have been overcookingperfect progressive
-
has been overcookingperfect progressive
Past
-
overcookedsimple
-
had overcookedperfect
-
was overcookingprogressive
-
were overcookingprogressive
-
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:
Mr. Daniels is a more confident actor than Mr. Quaid, and doesn’t feel the need to overcook his impression.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 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
What should resemble a fluffy cloud of eggs overcooks, breaks, or — in the worst cases — gets horribly stuck to the pan.
From Salon ● Jan. 22, 2023
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
EST 09:43 38 min: Sanchez overcooks a ball to Ramsey – goal kick.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 28, 2016
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
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
“I may have overcooked it a little bit,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 25, 2026
It even comes with straightforward meat probes that display their readings in the app, taking the guesswork out of doneness and making overcooked brisket a thing of the past.
From Salon ● Nov. 20, 2025
The yarn Mom is knitting pools in her lap like strands of overcooked spaghetti.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
Knowing when the salmon is done is the only tricky part of en papillote preparations, but don’t stress: The fish’s fat helps guard against overcooking.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 22, 2026
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 the crustaceans concentrates their flavor, keeping them plump and tender with far less of a risk of overcooking.
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.
