Having become too hot, either literally (like a machine) or figuratively (like emotions or situations that are intense).
Combines the prefix over- (too much) with heated, from Old English hætan. The prefix usage became common in English to indicate excess or beyond normal levels.
Computers throttle their performance when they overheat—they literally slow themselves down to cool off. Some scientists think human brains might do something similar during emotional stress, which could explain why we can't think clearly when we're angry.
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