Definition

Describing food that has been cooked for too long, making it tough or dry and not enjoyable to eat.

Example

The pasta was overcooked and became mushy.

Conversation

Did you try the pasta I made last night?

Yeah, but it was a bit overcooked, wasn't it?

I thought so too; I left it on the stove for too long.

No worries, it still tasted good with the sauce!

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Overcooked → It is formed from "over-" (meaning excessively) and "cook" (from Old English *cocian*, meaning to prepare food by heating). The word "overcooked" means to have cooked food excessively, resulting in it being too done or burnt.

Memory Tip

Think of cooking food 'excessively' ('over-') — that's why overcooked means food that has been cooked too much.

Visually Confused Words