surriscaldare

to overheat

verb soor-rees-kahl-DAH-reh Rare

Usage Note

Surriscaldare combines sur- (from French sur-, 'over') and riscaldare ('to heat'). It is used literally for engines, appliances, or the planet (il pianeta si sta surriscaldando — 'the planet is overheating') and figuratively for overheated debates or passions. The auxiliary is essere in the intransitive.

Examples

"Il motore si è surriscaldato per il traffico."

Natural Translation

The engine overheated because of the traffic.

Free starter pack

Building your Italian vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common Italian words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore Italian by topic

ItalianNow

Most Common Italian Verbs: The 10 That Unlock Speech

Drill these 10 most common Italian verbs first and you unlock past tense, modals, and the progressive — a 7-day plan with every present-tense form to memorize.

June 9, 2026 5 min read

ItalianNow

How to Order Coffee in Italy Like a Local

Order coffee in Italy like a local: say un caffè (not espresso), pay at the cassa first, drink al banco, and skip the latte trap. Phrases inside.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

ItalianNow

Avere Fame: Why Italians "Have" Hunger, Not "Are"

In Italian you say Ho fame (I have hunger), never sono fame. Learn the avere + noun rule for fame, freddo, paura, age, and the sono caldo trap to avoid.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

ItalianNow

Italian False Friends: 20 Words That Trick You

Italian false friends like preservativo, parenti, and caldo mean the opposite of what English speakers expect. Here are 20 ranked by how badly they bite.

June 5, 2026 6 min read