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:
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
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
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
While the U.S. economy boomed, it didn't overheat.
From Barron's ● May 8, 2026
Dad had to turn off the air conditioner so the engine wouldn’t overheat.
From "I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005" by Lauren Tarshis
Mandy says she is constantly reaching for her inhaler as her flat overheats.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
People spend against the future before it is here, and the economy overheats.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 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
Wind blows through the flaps; sunshine overheats; and stars twinkle overhead.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
The recent weakness appears more consistent with a cooling off in a market that became overheated than a breakdown in the primary trend.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 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
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
On the daily chart over the past year, a bearish RSI divergence emerged in late January, with momentum peaking near an overheated 80.
From Barron's ● Jun. 8, 2026
He remembers the overheated dance hall from the entrance exams four years before: ladder nailed to the wall, crimson flag with its white circle and black cross below.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
Central banks should stimulate when the economy is operating below potential and inflation is below goal, and restrict when the economy is overheating and inflation is too high.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 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
But that has fuelled concerns over overheating, and questions over when the eye-watering amounts ploughed into developing AI and building new data centres will reap returns.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
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
On the bank the Ford car sat, still breathing softly from its overheating.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
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.
