more heat than light
idiom
—used to say that something or someone causes anger without making something (such as an issue under discussion) better understood
Her inflammatory speech generated/produced more heat than light on the topic.
The provocative new book generates more heat than light.
Examples of more heat than light in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
To use the obvious metaphor, debate about the project has generated more heat than light and obscured the big picture.
—
David Plymyer, Baltimore Sun, 19 May 2025
A lot of this debate concerns issues of little strategic importance, generating more heat than light.
—Alan Manning, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2017
Sadly, much of this discourse has shed more heat than light on the controversy.
—IEEE Spectrum, 27 Jan. 2012
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.
David Plymyer, Baltimore Sun, 19 May 2025
A lot of this debate concerns issues of little strategic importance, generating more heat than light.
—Alan Manning, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2017
Sadly, much of this discourse has shed more heat than light on the controversy.
—IEEE Spectrum, 27 Jan. 2012
Cite this Entry
“More heat than light.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/more%20heat%20than%20light. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share