heat
heat — verb
1. to raise the temperature of an object, substance, or space, often using an appli
to raise the temperature of an object, substance, or space, often using an appliance such as a stove, oven, or radiator; or for something to become hotter
Andrés heated the soup on the stove while the children did their homework.
transitive: heat + [food] + on + [appliance]
The water was heated to exactly ninety degrees for tomorrow's chemistry class.
passive: be heated to [temperature]
The old classroom heats slowly in winter because the windows let cold air through.
intransitive: [thing] heats + [manner]
Hoa heated a pan of milk on the stove for her guests' hot chocolate.
The metal fence heats up fast on a summer afternoon and can burn your hand.
phrasal verb: heat up (become hotter)
- heat + food/oil/water/milk/room
- heat + to + [temperature]
- heat up
- heat through
- heat on the stove/in the oven
- warm (up)
gentler, suggesting a smaller or slower temperature increase; 'warm the milk' sounds less intense than 'heat the milk'
- reheat
specifically for something that was hot and has become cold again; 'reheat the leftover pizza'
- heat up
phrasal verb with the same meaning, very common in informal speech; 'heat up the stew'
- cool (down)
to lower temperature; 'wait for the engine to cool down'
- chill
to make cold, often in a refrigerator; 'chill the wine before serving'
Grammar Patterns
heat + [object]
heat up
be heated to [temperature]
[object] heats
heat + [object] + on/in + [appliance]
Usage Note
Commonly used with the particle 'up' (heat up) in both transitive and intransitive patterns. The transitive form ('heat the soup') requires a direct object; the intransitive form ('the oven heats quickly') does not.
Common Mistakes
heat — noun
1. how hot something is, or the physical sensation of being hot that you feel from
how hot something is, or the physical sensation of being hot that you feel from a nearby source
The heat from the campfire warmed Gita's face on the cold night.
collocation: heat from [source]
Cook the vegetables over medium heat for about ten minutes.
collocation: over medium/low/high heat (cooking)
The heat of the desert sun made the metal fence too hot to touch.
Jin could feel the heat rising from the pavement as he walked through the city.
collocation: feel the heat
This type of plastic can handle high heat without melting or bending.
- heat from the sun / fire / oven
- over high / medium / low heat
- feel the heat
- intense / extreme / gentle heat
- warmth
warmer but more comfortable; 'warmth' suggests a pleasant level, while 'heat' can be uncomfortably hot
- hotness
less common in everyday speech; more technical or scientific
- temperature
broader — temperature is a measured scale, while heat is the felt quality of hotness
- cold
the opposite sensation or condition
Usage Note
Frequently used with prepositions such as 'from', 'of', or 'over' to specify the source or context of the heat.
Common Mistakes
2. the equipment or system in a house, office, or other building that makes the ind
the equipment or system in a house, office, or other building that makes the indoor air warm, especially when the weather outside is cold
The landlord fixed the heat in the apartment before winter arrived.
Shirin turned up the heat because the room was too cold for studying.
phrase: turn up / turn down the heat
Nora pays for electricity and water, but the heat is included in the rent.
collocation: heat is included / not included
The old school building had no heat, so lessons were cancelled on icy mornings.
When the heat broke down last January, Hassan wore three sweaters inside the house.
collocation: the heat breaks down / goes out
- turn up / turn down the heat
- the heat is on / off
- pay for the heat
- the heat breaks down
- central heating
a specific type of heat system that uses pipes or ducts to warm the whole building
Usage Note
Usually refers to central heating or a furnace system. In everyday speech, 'the heat' (with 'the') means the heating system of a particular building.
Common Mistakes
3. one of the early races in a sporting event that decides which competitors get to
one of the early races in a sporting event that decides which competitors get to take part in the next round or the final
Constanza won her heat and advanced to the semifinals of the swimming competition.
sports: win / lose a heat
Only the top two runners from each heat go on to the final race.
Élise ran her fastest time in the third heat of the two-hundred-metre event.
The athlete was disqualified from his heat for starting before the gun.
sports: disqualified from a heat
There are six heats in the first round, and the winners move to round two.
- win / lose a heat
- first / second / third heat
- heat of the [event name]
- come first in a heat
- preliminary
more formal; refers to the whole round rather than a single race
- qualifier
focuses on the purpose — the race that decides who qualifies for the next stage
- final
the last round of the competition, which follows the heats
Usage Note
Common in athletics (running), swimming, rowing, and other sports where many competitors must be narrowed down through preliminary rounds.
Common Mistakes
4. the period when a female animal is physically ready to mate and can become pregn
the period when a female animal is physically ready to mate and can become pregnant
The farmer kept his dog in the yard while she was in heat.
phrase: be in heat
A female cat in heat will cry loudly and roll around on the floor.
The veterinarian advised keeping the mare indoors when she comes into heat.
phrase: come into heat
Kennels separate male and female dogs when any of the females is in heat.
Sofia knew the cow was in heat when she followed the bull around the field.
usage: in heat of farm animals
- be in heat
- come into heat
- go into heat
- in heat (of female mammals)
Usage Note
Almost always used in the phrase 'in heat' or 'come into heat'. Describes the oestrus cycle of mammals. Not used for humans.
Common Mistakes
5. in baseball, the speed and power with which a pitcher throws the ball toward the
in baseball, the speed and power with which a pitcher throws the ball toward the batter
The pitcher's heat was so good that no batter managed to hit the ball.
Talia could not handle the heat from the other team's best pitcher.
collocation: handle / throw heat
Anthony's heat reached ninety-five miles per hour during the final game.
The young rookie surprised the crowd with the heat in his first professional game.
- throw heat
- handle the heat
- bring the heat
Usage Note
Used mainly in baseball commentary and among fans. Refers specifically to a fastball thrown with great force. 'Throw heat' is a common collocation.
6. the physical energy that travels from hotter matter to cooler matter, making the
the physical energy that travels from hotter matter to cooler matter, making the cooler matter rise in temperature
In physics class, the students learned how heat moves from warm objects to cool ones.
science: heat moves / heat transfer
Heat is a type of energy that can be produced by friction, fire, or electricity.
Metal pots conduct heat well, so food inside them cooks faster than in glass dishes.
collocation: conduct / transfer heat
The experiment measured how much heat was needed to boil a litre of water.
Darius studied the transfer of heat through different kinds of metal for his project.
science: heat transfer through [material]
- heat transfer
- conduct / produce / generate heat
- heat energy
- source of heat
- thermal energy
the precise scientific term; 'heat' is the everyday word for the same concept in physics
Usage Note
This technical meaning is used in science and engineering contexts. In everyday conversation, sense 1 (TEMPERATURE) is more common for talking about how hot things feel.
Common Mistakes
7. the strong, burning sensation in your mouth that comes from eating food with chi
the strong, burning sensation in your mouth that comes from eating food with chili peppers or other hot spices
The heat of the curry was too much for Lakan, so he reached for water.
collocation: too much heat
Hao added a fresh chili to the soup for extra heat.
The restaurant menu marks each dish with peppers to show the heat level.
collocation: heat level
Heloísa loves the heat in Sichuan food, with its numbing peppercorn sensation.
heat in [type of cuisine]
- extra heat
- heat level
- reduce the heat
- add heat
- mildness
the lack of any spicy or burning quality
Usage Note
Uncountable; often modified by words such as 'extra', 'mild', or 'intense' to describe the degree of spiciness. Commonly appears on restaurant menus and in recipe descriptions.
Common Mistakes
8. a state of strong emotion — such as anger, excitement, or passion — that makes a
a state of strong emotion — such as anger, excitement, or passion — that makes a person act or speak without first thinking carefully
In the heat of the debate, Sivan forgot her notes and spoke from memory.
the heat of [debate/argument]
Tariro said harsh things in the heat of the argument that he later regretted.
The heat of passion pushed the young couple to decide without thinking it through.
heat of passion
Noor tried to stay calm as the heat of her anger rose inside her.
- heat of the moment
- heat of the argument
- heat of passion
- heat of debate
Grammar Patterns
the heat of [noun]
Usage Note
Almost always appears in the pattern 'the heat of [something]' (debate, argument, passion, moment). Never used with a number or in plural form.
Common Mistakes
9. strong pressure or demands placed on someone to produce results, meet deadlines,
strong pressure or demands placed on someone to produce results, meet deadlines, or deal with a difficult situation
The heat is on the team to win after last year's disappointing finish.
the heat is on [someone]
Dahlia felt the heat from her boss when she missed three deadlines in a row.
Eri felt the heat from her investors after the product launch was delayed twice.
feel the heat from [someone]
The government is turning up the heat on companies that ignore safety rules.
turn up the heat on [someone]
Grammar Patterns
feel the heat
turn up the heat on
Usage Note
Typically used in fixed expressions: 'the heat is on', 'feel the heat', 'turn up the heat on'. Often describes external pressure in work, competition, or enforcement contexts. Singular and uncountable — never 'heats'.
Common Mistakes
be on heat
idiomA female animal is ready to mate and can become pregnant.
The farmer kept the dog away because the cat was on heat.
Did you notice that the rabbit is on heat this morning?
If a task is too difficult for you, you should stop doing it instead of complaining.
Min told him, "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."
Sara decided to quit the project, saying she couldn't stand the heat.
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
Heat, warmth, fever, and hotness all relate to high temperature but differ in scope and connotation. Warmth refers to a gentle, comfortable level of heat — the warmth of a fire on a cold day, or the warmth of a friend's smile. Heat is more intense and general: it can describe anything from a sunny afternoon to a blast furnace. Fever is specific to the body's raised temperature during illness, though it can also mean a state of excitement (fever of anticipation). Hotness is a simpler, more informal word for the quality of being hot, often used for food (hotness of chili) or physical appearance (informal). For everyday weather or cooking, heat is the default choice; for describing something pleasantly warm, choose warmth.
Common collocations
Etymology
From Old English hǣtu (noun), related to hāt 'hot'. It became Middle English hete, and later settled into the modern spelling heat during the Early Modern English period. Its many figurative meanings — strong emotion, pressure, spiciness — all developed from the core physical sense.