To overheat means to become too hot, often to the point where something stops working properly or becomes dangerous. When a car engine overheats on a long trip, it gets so hot that steam pours from under the hood and the driver has to pull over and let it cool down. When your laptop overheats from running too many programs, it might shut itself off to prevent damage.

Machines overheat when they work too hard without enough cooling. Your phone might overheat if you leave it in direct sunlight on a hot day. A mixer can overheat if you use it too long without breaks. Most devices have built-in protections that shut them down before overheating causes permanent harm.

People can overheat too. When you play hard outside on a sweltering summer day, your body temperature rises and you need to cool down with water and shade. Athletes watch for signs of overheating during intense practices.

The word also describes situations that get too intense. A friendly debate might overheat into an argument when people get too worked up. An economy can overheat when it grows too fast, causing problems later. In these cases, overheating means things have gotten out of control and need to cool down before real damage happens.