warm

1 of 3

adjective

1
a
: having or giving out heat to a moderate or adequate degree
warm weather
a warm fire
b
: serving to maintain or preserve heat especially to a satisfactory degree
a warm sweater
c
: feeling or causing sensations of heat brought about by strenuous exertion
2
: comfortably established : secure
3
a
: marked by strong feeling : ardent
b
: marked by excitement, disagreement, or anger
the argument grew warm
4
: marked by or readily showing affection, gratitude, cordiality, or sympathy
a warm welcome
warm regards
5
: emphasizing or exploiting sexual imagery or incidents
6
: accompanied or marked by extreme danger or duress
7
: newly made : fresh
a warm scent
8
: having the color or tone of something that imparts heat
specifically : of a hue in the range yellow through orange to red
9
: near to a goal, object, or solution sought
not there yet but getting warm
warmish adjective
warmness noun

warm

2 of 3

verb

warmed; warming; warms

transitive verb

1
: to make warm
2
a
: to infuse with a feeling of love, friendship, well-being, or pleasure
b
: to fill with anger, zeal, or passion
3
: to reheat (cooked food) for eating
often used with over
4
: to make ready for operation or performance by preliminary exercise or operation
often used with up

intransitive verb

1
: to become warm
2
a
: to become ardent, interested, or receptive
usually used with to or toward
warmed to the idea
b
: to become filled with affection or love
used with to or toward
3
: to experience feelings of pleasure : bask
4
: to become ready for operation or performance by preliminary activity
often used with up

warm

3 of 3

adverb

: warmly
usually used in combination
warm-clad

Examples of warm in a Sentence

Adjective Be sure to keep warm when you go outside. We sat by the fire to stay warm. It's too warm in here. We should open a window. The sunshine was warm on my face. We were met with a warm welcome. She has a warm and friendly nature. The letter was signed, “warmest regards.” She gave us each a long, warm hug. Keep going; you're getting warm. Verb He warmed his hands in front of the fire. We warmed ourselves by the fire. Air rises when it warms.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Walmart is having a patio furniture sale just in time for warmer weather, with sets for up to 59 percent off from brands like Better Homes & Gardens and Costway. Bridget Degnan, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2024 The profiteroles, drizzled with warm, rich, dark chocolate, are like little elegant ice cream sandwiches freckled with powdered sugar. Detroit Free Press, 6 Mar. 2024 And those who didn’t know Noseda personally confirmed to me the rarity of such a warm welcome, let alone such a prolonged ovation. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 And, with this winter's warm weather, demand for gasoline is higher because more people are traveling than usual. David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 6 Mar. 2024 Known as the Purkinje Effect, the human eye becomes increasingly sensitive to cooler colors than warm colors. Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 6 Mar. 2024 La Palma has one of the best bar spots in the entire island: Bianca, a new addition via this renovation, right on its roof, with superb views out across the main town—and cooling breezes all-too welcome on a warm night. Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2024 Most Hoosiers have a 35% or greater chance for seeing warmer than average temperatures this year. John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 23 Feb. 2024 The bowl contains mashed potatoes topped with fries, warm cheese sauce, bacon crumbles and a three-cheese blend, according to a news release from KFC. The Courier-Journal, 23 Feb. 2024
Verb
At issue with king crab, Blume said he is told, is warming waters. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 4 Mar. 2024 Periods of drought, which are becoming longer and more intense as the world warms, also dry out vegetation and increase the likelihood of fires igniting and spreading rapidly. Laura Paddison, CNN, 3 Mar. 2024 Among the creatures that are less negatively impacted by warming waters include squid, octopus and jellyfish, which is most commonly consumed today in China and Vietnam. Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 For Ojibwe tribes, warming winters, dwindling ice thickness and year-to-year whiplash is putting important treaty resources at risk. Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2024 Fishermen who participate in Maine’s lifeblood lobster industry are on edge about what the future holds, as lobsters have inched steadily northward as waters have warmed, Cousens said. Patrick Whittle, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2024 Meanwhile, chickpeas, tomatoes, olive oil and a warming combination of cinnamon, ginger and marjoram concentrate until the chickpeas are buttery-soft and the tomatoes caramelized. Ali Slagle, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2024 Found in both sweet and savory dishes, turmeric is loved in the culinary world for its warming flavor. Beatrice Zocchi, Vogue, 26 Feb. 2024 Climate change is throwing Earth’s water cycle into chaos across the country as the planet continues to warm. Elizabeth Both, NBC News, 26 Feb. 2024
Adverb
The primary suite has access to a patio, and the walls in the primary bedroom are brick or have warm-toned wood paneling. Dallas News, 7 Oct. 2022 The kitchen has warm-toned wood cabinets, an island with storage and countertop space and a stove with a stone surround. Dallas News, 5 Aug. 2022 The couple wrapped up warm in scarves and long wool coats for the outdoor visit in the 32-degree weather, which felt even colder along the water. Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 1 Dec. 2022 Fortunately, Elizabeth of the College Housewife struck the perfect balance by breaking up her warm-toned table with white planters and matte black candlestick holders. Rachel Silva, ELLE Decor, 14 Nov. 2022 They're lined with soft, brushed sherpa-like acrylic yarn that traps heat to keep your feet toasty warm all winter long and impressed our analysts in Lab evaluations. Grace Wu, Good Housekeeping, 28 Oct. 2022 On Instagram, Lipa shared photos of herself frolicking through the streets of Portugal this week while wearing a warm-toned minidress, patterned with palm trees and sandy beaches. Melody Leibner, Harper's BAZAAR, 8 June 2022 Antonoff fooled around with some simple keyboard voicings on a warm-sounding vintage synth, then programmed a spare, mid-tempo track on a drum machine. Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 16 May 2022 The family’s custom apparel shop, which Renee ran, printed the team’s warm-up gear. Karin Brulliard and Adria Malcolm, Anchorage Daily News, 2 Apr. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'warm.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Old English wearm; akin to Old High German warm warm and probably to Lithuanian virti to cook, boil

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of warm was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near warm

Cite this Entry

“Warm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/warm. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

warm

1 of 2 adjective
1
a
: having or giving off heat to a moderate or adequate degree
warm food
a warm stove
b
: serving to keep in heat (as of the body)
warm clothes
c
: feeling or causing sensations of heat
warm from exertion
a long warm walk
2
a
: showing or marked by strong feeling : ardent
a warm hug
b
: marked by tense excitement or anger
a warm political campaign
3
: marked by or tending toward injury, distress, or pain
gave the enemy a warm reception
4
a
: newly made : fresh
a warm scent
b
: near to a goal, answer, or object sought
not there yet but getting warm
5
: of a color in the range yellow to orange to red
warmly adverb
warmness noun

warm

2 of 2 verb
1
: to make or become warm
warm yourself in front of the fire
2
a
: to give a feeling of warmth or pleasure to
it warms my heart to see you
b
: to experience feelings of affection or pleasure
warmed to her young guests
3
: to reheat for eating
warm over some potatoes
4
a
: to make or become ready for action or performing by doing special exercises or actions beforehand
swimmers warm up before a race
b
: to become increasingly interested or enthusiastic
a speaker warming to his topic

More from Merriam-Webster on warm

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