heat 1 of 2

noun

Definition of heatnext
1
as in intensity
depth of feeling informed the doctor, with considerable heat, that she had been kept waiting for three hours

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in gun
slang a portable weapon from which a shot is discharged by gunpowder a private detective packing heat

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in police
slang a body of officers of the law he thought he was so slick, but the heat was onto him in no time

Synonyms & Similar Words

heat

2 of 2

verb

ˈhēt How to pronounce heat (audio)
as in to warm
to cause to have or give off heat to a moderate degree heat water for tea heat the oven to 350 degrees before you put the cake in

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of heat
Noun
Summerlike heat will peak Tuesday in the central US, with highs in the 90s forecast as far north as Illinois and Indiana, and 80s through the Ohio Valley. — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026 Warmth builds in Baltimore, near record heat Wednesday Today and Wednesday will be the warmest days of the workweek. — Cutter Martin, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
Verb
In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. — Candy Hom, AJC.com, 12 Oct. 2026 The modern cabin has heated concrete floors and a propane fireplace for staying snug inside, while outside, there’s a fire pit and a soaking tub. — Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for heat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heat
  1. intensity
  2. gun
  3. police
  4. warm
  5. emotion
  6. firearm
  7. constabulary
  8. enthusiasm
Noun
  • The intensity of their yearning has only increased on their second album, Nature’s Pill—and that’s no easy feat, considering this is a band whose breakout track opens with the narrator prostrating himself before the object of his affection.
    — Colin Joyce, Pitchfork, 14 Oct. 2026
  • But Whalefall is no match for the earlier film’s suspense and intensity.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of intensity
Noun
  • Esmeralda Muñoz, 70, said her family was furious that agents showed up to their home in full tactical gear with guns drawn to arrest her husband before dawn.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Investigators recovered a gun in an alley next to the shooting scene, along with at least 14 shell casings.
    — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of gun
Noun
  • Beginning in the late 1990s, O’Neal has worked part-time with several police departments and even became a reserve officer in both Los Angeles and Miami.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Roseville police have arrested a 15-year-old boy in connection with the fatal stabbing of a homeless woman downtown earlier this week, authorities said.
    — Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of police
Verb
  • And warming temperatures are hindering their ability to perform essential functions.
    — Devika Rao, TheWeek, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Scientists point to warming waters and changing ocean conditions, not trawl bycatch, as the primary causes of the declines.
    — Annika Hammerschlag, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of warm
Noun
  • The photography by Andrew Jacobs is juxtaposed against works by the Belgian artist Katrien de Blauwer, commissioned for the project to evoke emotion through color.
    — David Moin, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • These passages connect sensation and emotion without stopping to explain their relationship.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of emotion
Noun
  • Several firearms and other evidence were found by police inside the home.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Minors can also temporarily possess firearms for lawful reasons, such as hunting or target practice.
    — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of firearm
Noun
  • Meanwhile, police forces across the country have transformed from lightly armed constabularies to small-scale armies.
    — Daniel Benjamin, Foreign Affairs, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Several British constabularies have added EVs to their fleets for urban policing duties, often using models such as the Hyundai Kona Electric, Nissan Leaf and the BMW i3.
    — Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 8 Mar. 2026
Definition of constabulary
Noun
  • Zelensky does not appear to be in a rush to hold elections and the public has shown little enthusiasm for heading to the polls as bombs fly overhead.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The strongman is failing, even as the opposition struggles to inspire a great deal of conviction and enthusiasm.
    — Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of enthusiasm

Phrases Containing heat

Browse Nearby Words

hearty
heat
heated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Heat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heat. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on heat

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about heat

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of jilt

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All