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
You overcook it by two minutes, or cut into it after 30 minutes in the oven only to find the center still raw and pink.
From Salon ● May 22, 2026
I say to people now just treat it like male grooming – don't overcook it.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2025
“That was usually a mistake on our part because we had let it overcook and then they loved it,” said Dora.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 5, 2025
I overcook the birds hoping someone will show up to shoot, but no one does.
From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
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
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
“I may have overcooked it a little bit,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 25, 2026
The candied yams hit just the right note, the biscuit was rich and fluffy, and even with slightly overcooked noodles, the mac and cheese was still satisfying.
From Salon ● Sep. 3, 2025
Tiafoe broke back immediately when Evans overcooked his forehand and momentum appeared to swing the American's way in a 10-minute spell where his opponent had little answer to him.
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2025
Musk’s lawyers use some overcooked language that may remind you who they are working for.
From Slate ● Apr. 25, 2025
I don’t remember her ever yelling before; she always seemed as soft and mushy as overcooked potatoes.
From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau
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
The shrimp are done when they turn from translucent gray to opaque pink, but they shouldn’t curl into rounds, which indicates 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.
