overheat
Americanverb (used with object)
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to heat to excess.
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to excite or agitate; make vehement.
a crowd overheated by rabble-rousers.
verb (used without object)
noun
verb
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to make or become excessively hot
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(tr; often passive) to make very agitated, irritated, etc
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(intr) (of an economy) to tend towards inflation, often as a result of excessive growth in demand
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(tr) to cause (an economy) to tend towards inflation
noun
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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overheatsimple
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overheatssimple
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have overheatedperfect
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has overheatedperfect
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am overheatingprogressive
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are overheatingprogressive
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is overheatingprogressive
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have been overheatingperfect progressive
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has been overheatingperfect progressive
Past
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overheatedsimple
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had overheatedperfect
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was overheatingprogressive
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were overheatingprogressive
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had been overheatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of overheat
First recorded in 1350–1400, overheat is from the Middle English word overheten. See over-, heat
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:
"They're small classrooms, windows of limited opening and when you add 30 pupils they overheat very, very quickly," he added.
From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026
Thus, he dared to break with long-held dogma that the economy would overheat and spark runaway inflation if allowed to grow at a sustained rate of much above 2.5% per year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
Magnets that exploit the properties of rare earths such as neodymium can overheat, making them lose their magnetism in high-tech, high-temperature settings such as vehicle engines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026
He said there’s a need to move data faster, which means light — instead of traditional copper — that won’t overheat data centers.
From MarketWatch ● May 27, 2026
Fanning the smoke aside, she muttered, “I’ve never seen it overheat like this.”
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
People spend against the future before it is here, and the economy overheats.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
That overheats the present economy and pushes rates higher.
From Barron's ● May 9, 2026
When the economy runs above capacity, it overheats; wages and prices rise.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2025
Any loss of downforce - such as when following another car - makes the car slide, which overheats the tyres, which affects performance.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2024
Wind blows through the flaps; sunshine overheats; and stars twinkle overhead.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Lee, 30, sold many of his shares last year when the Kospi surged, concerned the market was becoming "too overheated".
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Prior to that, Micron shares had been caught up in a broader tech selloff as the market corrected from previously overheated investor enthusiasm.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
In a sign of the toll market volatility is exacting, the stock-exchange operator has postponed the launch of options for four blue-chip stocks amid concerns that the market has overheated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
Thousands of evacuated residents still are not able to return to their homes after a chemical storage tank at an aerospace company in Garden Grove overheated, creating the possibility of an explosion.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2026
"When I'm not sleepy and exhausted," I said, "and not overheated as I am just now."
From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison
Dr Richard Comont, the Trust's science manager, says that once air temperatures reach around 28C to 32C, UK bumblebees can start to struggle to fly without overheating.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
Britain recorded more than 100 incidents of devices overheating last year, a 98% surge compared with 2024, the country’s aviation regulator said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
The materials are less prone to overheating, so they don’t have the fire risk of lithium.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
The NHF said overheating was more likely to occur in lower-income households that may not be able to afford cooling measures like air conditioning or fans.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
I'm meeting Jenna at NYU to hear a public lecture about our overheating planet.
From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins
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.
