overheat
Americanverb (used with object)
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overheats,
present (3rd person singular)
-
overheated,
past participle, past
-
overheating
present participle
-
to heat to excess.
-
to excite or agitate; make vehement.
a crowd overheated by rabble-rousers.
verb (used without object)
-
overheats,
present (3rd person singular)
-
overheated,
past participle, past
-
overheating
present participle
noun
verb
-
to make or become excessively hot
-
(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
-
(tr) to cause (an economy) to tend towards inflation
noun
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
overheatsimple
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overheatssimple
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have overheatedperfect
-
has overheatedperfect
-
am overheatingprogressive
-
are overheatingprogressive
-
is overheatingprogressive
-
have been overheatingperfect progressive
-
has been overheatingperfect progressive
Past
-
overheatedsimple
-
had overheatedperfect
-
was overheatingprogressive
-
were overheatingprogressive
-
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:
A sail exposed to an extremely powerful laser could potentially overheat or even melt.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 2, 2026
And on a hot July day, he said the batteries were far more reliable than fuel generators that can overheat and cut out during summer.
From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026
Those and other personal devices have lithium-ion batteries, which are prone to bursting into flames when they malfunction or overheat.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
Without urgent action, more than 90% of existing homes could overheat during more extreme heatwaves by the middle of the century, the CCC says.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
After the third hole, the drill's overheat light came on.
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
In Inlyte’s packs, when one cell overheats, it never gets so hot that it threatens neighboring cells.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
When the sea overheats, corals eject the microscopic algae that provides their distinct colour and food source.
From Barron's ● Feb. 10, 2026
When the economy runs above capacity, it overheats; wages and prices rise.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2025
Thermal runaway is a kind of explosive chain reaction where a cell inside a lithium-ion battery overheats, which then spreads to the many other cells in the battery.
From BBC ● Feb. 8, 2024
Wind blows through the flaps; sunshine overheats; and stars twinkle overhead.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
She predated our overheated era of cable-news slapfights as a massive star and national treasure who never took herself too seriously.
From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2026
“It reflected liquidity being pulled elsewhere, into an overheated AI and semiconductor trade.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
You ask, “Should I sell $1,000 in stocks because the market is overheated and I have this car loan hanging over my head?”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
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
The car backfired several times without ignition because it was overheated.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
In fact, not infrequently first hikes occur when the economy is so strong that it is in danger of overheating.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026
On top of that, there have been serious, and repeating, reliability problems, most notably with overheating brakes.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
When the economy is overheating, bond yields will rise, which will slow the economy and squelch the threat of higher inflation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
Studies of passive cooling in homes have found that night-time ventilation can reduce overheating, although effectiveness depends on the building, outdoor temperature, safety, noise and air quality.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 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.
