What does heat mean?
Heat is the degree or quality of being hot, and it often means the warmth sensed from a hot environment. As a noun, it can also denote an oven's temperature setting, intense emotion such as anger or passion, the pressure of a demanding event, and a preliminary race. As a verb, heat means to make something hotter or to become hot. The word is neutral in register but becomes forceful when used figuratively: a politician can stir up or turn up the heat. In ordinary temperature discussion, heat is generally an uncountable noun, while plural heats is reserved chiefly for separate competitive rounds. The distinction between physical heat and metaphorical heat helps explain why the same word can describe both a hot pavement and a heated argument. The expression body heat also reminds us that warmth can be a property of an object or living body.
The condition of being hot or a high temperature; warmth. Extended meanings include intense emotion, a cooking setting, intense pressure or activity, a preliminary contest, and sexual arousal.
"The train's air conditioning could not keep up with the heat outside."
The physical sense is normally uncountable. Countable use is most familiar in the sense of a preliminary round of a race.
To make something hot or to become hot. Figuratively, it means to intensify a feeling, dispute, or situation.
"She heated the milk slowly on the stove."
Both transitive and intransitive uses are common; the phrase heat up also commonly means to become or make something angry or agitated.
Uncommon when referring to temperature or thermal energy, but standard for separate preliminary rounds of a competition.
"The swimming meet includes two heats for each event."
Hot and heat are linguistic kin, sharing an ancient Indo-European root for “hot.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does heat come from?
The English noun and verb descend from Old English hǣtu, a noun meaning “heat,” and hǣtan, a verb meaning “to heat.” These developed from Proto-Germanic forms associated with a root meaning “hot,” the same ultimate root generally traced for English hot. Cognates include Dutch heet and German heiß.
Related word forms
How heat is actually used
Neutral and widely used in formal and informal English. Physical heat is normally an uncountable noun; countable uses such as heats are chiefly associated with separate rounds of a competition. Figurative uses often suggest rising anger, conflict, or pressure.
Easily confused with heat
Heat means high temperature or intensity, whereas heal means to recover from an injury or illness.