heat wave

IPA/hˈiːt wˈeɪv/
IPA/hˈiːt wˈeɪv/

heat wave — noun

1. a period of several days or weeks when the weather is much hotter than what is n

1.nounB1
Definition

a period of several days or weeks when the weather is much hotter than what is normal for that place at that time of year

Example

The heat wave that hit southern Europe last summer broke temperature records across six countries.

collocation: heat wave + break records

During the July heat wave, Kwame stayed indoors with the air conditioning running all day.

collocation: during + the heat wave

Common collocations
  • severe/extreme/unprecedented heat wave
  • heat wave hits / strikes / sweeps through
  • heat wave breaks / ends / subsides
  • during / amid / throughout the heat wave
  • heat wave warning / alert
  • survive / endure / withstand a heat wave
Synonyms
  • hot spell

    refers to a shorter period of hot weather, typically a few days rather than weeks

  • extreme heat

    broader term that can describe a single very hot day or general climate conditions

Antonyms
  • cold snap

    a sudden, short period of very cold weather

  • cold spell

    a longer period of colder-than-usual weather

Grammar Patterns

the + heat wave + verb

during/in + a/the + heat wave

Usage Note

Commonly used with definite article 'the' when referring to a specific ongoing event. Can be modified by adjectives such as severe, extreme, unprecedented, or dangerous.

Common Mistakes

A hot wave is coming this weekend.
A heat wave is coming this weekend.
The correct compound noun is 'heat wave', not 'hot wave'.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A heat wave is a multi-day period of abnormally high temperatures in a specific region, often discussed in weather forecasts and climate reports. A hot spell is milder and shorter — usually just two or three very warm days. Extreme heat is a broader concept that can describe any dangerously hot conditions, even a single day, and is frequently used in public health warnings about heatstroke. The one-word spelling heatwave (especially common in British English) is interchangeable with heat wave. In news headlines, 'heat wave' is preferred because it is the standard meteorological term.

heat wave ↗hot spellextreme heatheatwave ↗

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The term 'heat wave' was first recorded in the late 1700s. It combines 'heat' (from Old English hǣtu, meaning high temperature) with 'wave' (from Old English wafian, meaning to move back and forth). The image is of a wave of hot air sweeping across a region. By the late 1800s, it had become a standard weather term, with the related 'cold wave' appearing around the same time.

First known use

1893

1893, in the meaning defined above