heat

SayHEET/hit/UK/hiːt/

Pluralheats (some meanings)

Verbheats, heating, heated

22 meanings of heat

Practice

1
high temperaturenoununcountable
The quality or feeling of being hot.
Like the warm feeling when you sit close to a campfire.
The heat of the sand hurt my bare feet.
The heat in the desert made it hard to breathe.
UsageOften the heat of something: the heat of the fire.
Similarwarmth, hotness
Oppositecold, coldness, coolness, chill
2
energy (physics)noununcountable
The energy that makes things feel warm or hot.
Like the warmth that moves from a hot drink into your cold hands.
The heat from the sun warms the ground all day.
Metal carries heat quickly from one end to the other.
Similarwarmth
Note
3
raise temperatureverbtransitive
To make something hotter, or to get hotter.
I heat the soup in the microwave for two minutes.
Mom heats the oven before she bakes bread.
UsageSay heat up the soup, or heat it up.
Similarwarm
Oppositecool, chill
4
hot spellnouncountable
A time when the weather is very hot.
During the August heat, we stayed inside with the fans on.
We stayed inside during the worst of the heat.
UsageSay in the heat or in this heat. For one hot period, say a heat wave.
Similarheatwave
5
warming systemnoununcountable
The system that warms a building, or the warmth that comes from it.
The heat in our apartment broke during winter.
Turn on the heat because it's freezing in here.
UsageSay turn up the heat.
6
qualifying racenouncountable
An early round of a race or contest that decides who goes on to the final.
She won her heat and qualified for the final.
Only the top two from each heat move on.
UsageSay in the first heat.
Similarround, qualifier
7
verbfigurativelytransitive
To make someone hot or excited, or to stir up strong feelings in them.
Anger can heat the blood in seconds.
Embarrassment heated her cheeks when everyone turned to look.
Similarexcite, inflame, stir, rouse, flush
Oppositecalm, cool
8
spicy tastenoununcountable
The burning taste that spicy foods give your mouth.
Like the burning feeling on your tongue after biting a hot pepper.
This chili sauce has a lot of heat.
I can't handle the heat of fresh peppers.
Similarspiciness, fire, burn, pungency
Oppositemildness
9
peak momentnoununcountable
A time of very strong feelings or excitement.
In the heat of the argument, he said things he regretted.
The fans cheered wildly in the heat of the final play.
UsageSay in the heat of the moment.
Similarpassion, vehemence
Oppositecalm

Less common meanings

10
pressurenoununcountable
Unwanted attention that causes trouble for someone.
Like everyone watching and blaming you after a mistake.
The mayor felt the heat after the scandal broke.
Reporters put a lot of heat on the company.
UsageSay take the heat for a mistake.
Similarpressure, criticism, flak, blame
11
ready to matenoununcountable
The time when a female animal is ready to mate.
The cat was in heat and cried all night.
Dogs in heat need careful watching.
UsageSay an animal is in heat.
Similarrut
Note
12
sexual desirenounslangendearingcountable or uncountable
Strong sexual excitement in a person.
He felt the heat rising as they danced closer.
She tried to ignore the heat she felt whenever he smiled.
UsageIn normal writing, say desire.
Similarrut
13
fast pitchnouncountable
A very fast pitch thrown in baseball.
Like a ball thrown so fast it's hard to even see it go by.
The young pitcher brought the heat in the ninth inning.
Batters struggled against his blazing heat.
UsageSay bring the heat.
Similarfastball, gas, smoke
14
policenounslanguncountable
The police, especially seen as a threat by criminals.
The robbers scattered when the heat showed up.
Someone yelled that the heat was coming.
UsageSay the heat for the police.
Similarpolice, cops, law, fuzz
Note
15
gunnounslanguncountable
A gun, or guns, that a person carries.
The robber was carrying heat when he walked into the bank.
Police found heat hidden under the car seat.
UsageSay pack heat, not a heat.
Similargun, piece, iron, firearm
Note
16
crowd booingnounslangcountable or uncountable
Boos and anger from a crowd, especially aimed at a wrestling villain.
The villain drew heat from the crowd all match long.
The wrestler cheated to win and got huge heat from the crowd.
UsageSay a villain draws heat.
Similarhostility, booing, scorn
Oppositecheering
Note
17
turn onverbslangtransitive
To make someone feel sexual excitement.
His slow kisses heated her up fast.
Her flirty texts always heat him up.
UsageUsually heat someone up. In normal writing, say excite or arouse.
Similararouse, excite
18
forging roundnouncountable
One round of heating metal until it is hot, then shaping it until it gets too cool to work.
The blacksmith shaped the small blade in a single heat.
It took several heats to bend the thick iron bar.
Note
19
SayHET/hɛt/
verbobsolete
Simple past and past participle of heat. An old, dialect form used where modern English says "heated."
HEAT, for heated, is in popular use and pronounced het; but it is not elegant.
[1828, Noah Webster, “Heat”Here, heat is an old, everyday form of heated.
The Iron of it ſelfe, though heate red hot, / Approaching neere theſe eyes, would drinke my teares, / And quench this fierie indignation, / Euen in the matter of mine innocence.
c. 1596, William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”Here, heat is an old form of heated, so heated red hot.
Note
20
nounslang
Cool, expensive sneakers that everyone wants.
21
nounarchaic
A single burst of hard, nonstop effort.
22
nounslang
In omegaverse stories, a regular time when an omega character feels a strong urge to mate.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of heat apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1–2, 4–6, 8–16, 18

From an old English word for heat, going back to older Germanic and even earlier Indo-European roots meaning "heat" or "hot".

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts

Heat derives from an Old English word meaning heat. en.wiktionary.org
The Old English word descends from an older Germanic form meaning heat. en.wiktionary.org
The word ultimately derives from an Indo-European root meaning heat or hot. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 3, 7, 17

From an old English verb hǣtan meaning "to heat" or "become hot".

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 1 fact

The verb heat derives from Old English hǣtan, meaning to heat or become hot. en.wiktionary.org

Meaning 19

Possibly another spelling of het ("heated"), or an old past-tense form of the verb "heat" made by copying patterns like "beat/bet".

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts

Heat may be an alternative spelling of het, meaning heated. en.wiktionary.org
Alternatively, heat may continue an old past-tense form formed by analogy with the past tense of beat. en.wiktionary.org
Bet was a past-tense form of the predecessor of beat. en.wiktionary.org