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Definition of overheat

overheat

/ˌoʊvərˈhiːt/
o · ver · heat
Adjective:overheated
•
Past Simple:overheated
•
Past Participle:overheated
•
Present Participle:overheating
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overheat Lexical Profile

overheat Game Scores & Validity

• verb

1

To make or become excessively or dangerously hot.

Example

"The old laptop tends to overheat if the cooling vents are blocked by dust."

2

To expand so rapidly that rising demand outpaces productive capacity and triggers inflation (of an economy or market).

Example

"Central bankers raised interest rates to prevent the housing market from beginning to overheat."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for overheat
Antonyms
View all antonyms for overheat

• Rhymes for overheat

• Nearby Words

overhaul
overhead
overhear
overheat
overhigh
overhit
overhunt

Word Origin & Etymology

Formed in English from the prefix 'over-' (indicating excess) and 'heat' (from Old English 'hætan', meaning to make hot).

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Overheat. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/overheat
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