overheated

Meanings

1. 1adjectivenot comparable

   Made too hot, especially a machine, room, or person.

   Grammar: Used after a linking verb or before a noun: 'The engine is overheated' or 'an overheated engine'.

   Patterns

   • become overheated
   • get overheated
   • an overheated engine

   The car's engine became overheated on the long climb.

   The room was overheated, so we opened all the windows.

   He felt overheated after running in the sun.

2. 2adjectivenot comparablefigurative

   Too active or intense, especially an economy or a discussion.

   Grammar: Often used in economics for a market that is growing too fast, or for a heated argument.

   Patterns

   • an overheated economy
   • an overheated market
   • an overheated debate

   The government raised interest rates to cool an overheated economy.

   The meeting turned into an overheated argument about budgets.

   Analysts warned that the housing market was overheated.

Common combinations

overheated engine

An overheated engine can cause serious damage.

overheated economy

An overheated economy often leads to high inflation.

overheated debate

The overheated debate lasted for hours.

Synonyms and how they differ

too hot

Plain and literal; 'overheated' is more formal and can also be figurative.

inflamed

Often used for emotions or medical conditions; 'overheated' is more general.

Opposites

Word family

overheat verb

To become too hot: The engine overheated.

overheating noun

The condition of being too hot: Overheating can damage the motor.

Commonly confused: overheated or over heated?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “overheated”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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