heat wave

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A period of several days when the weather is much hotter than usual for a place.

   Grammar: Plural is heat waves; it names a lasting event, not a single hot day.

   Patterns

   • a severe heat wave
   • during a heat wave
   • a heat wave hits a place

   The heat wave lasted nine days and broke records across the state.

   Farmers watered the fields twice a day during the heat wave.

   A heat wave hit the coast just as schools closed for summer.

2. 2nouncountablefigurative

   A sudden intense period of activity, attention, or feeling.

   Grammar: Figurative; usually follows a heat wave of with a noun such as criticism or anger.

   Patterns

   • a heat wave of criticism
   • a heat wave of protests
   • a heat wave of interest

   The announcement brought a heat wave of criticism from customers.

   A heat wave of protests followed the decision overnight.

   The show sparked a heat wave of interest in local history.

Word forms

Common combinations

severe heat wave

A severe heat wave raised power demand to a summer high.

heat wave warning

Officials issued a heat wave warning for the weekend.

during a heat wave

Check on elderly neighbors during a heat wave.

prolonged heat wave

Crops suffered after a prolonged heat wave with little rain.

Synonyms and how they differ

hot spell

Can be milder or shorter; heat wave suggests abnormal intensity and danger.

scorcher

Informal and usually one very hot day, while a heat wave continues for days.

Opposites

Word family

heat noun

High temperature or the feeling of being hot.

heated adjective

Made warm, or angry and excited in discussion.

Commonly confused: heat wave or heat stroke? heat wave or hot spell?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “heat wave”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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