Word
overheat
Phoneticsover·heat
US/ˈoʊvɝˌhit/
UK/ˌəʊvəhˈiːt/
Definition
v. to become too hot, especially for a machine or a person. It can also describe an economy that grows too fast and becomes unstable.
v. to become excessively hot, typically leading to a malfunction or health risk. In an economic context, it refers to a period of rapid growth that eventually leads to a correction or crash.
Examples
“The computer will overheat if you leave it in the sun.”
“Economists warned that the housing market was beginning to overheat as prices rose faster than wages.”
“While the initial surge in consumer spending was welcomed, the central bank feared the economy was overheating, leading to a rapid increase in inflation that would require an emergency interest rate hike.”
Examples
simple
“The computer will overheat if you leave it in the sun.”
contextual
“Economists warned that the housing market was beginning to overheat as prices rose faster than wages.”
complex
“While the initial surge in consumer spending was welcomed, the central bank feared the economy was overheating, leading to a rapid increase in inflation that would require an emergency interest rate hike.”
Real-World Examples
“More typically, it’s been a beacon for the half-collapsed, exhausted and overheated hikers trudging down the Grand Canyon for more than a century.” “Then you get onto the older part of the circuit where the asphalt’s all rough and there the tyres will easily overheat.” “Or an electrical device that breaks an electrical circuit when it overheats, thus preventing electrical wires from getting hot enough to cause a fire.” Word family
VERB
NOUN
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
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