heat wave

noun

: a period of unusually hot weather

Examples of heat wave in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The humidity makes this heat much more dangerous than previous heat waves, according to Los Angeles County public health officials. — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026

Other July heat waves included ones that sent temperatures soaring in Montana to 116 degrees and one in the Southwest and Rockies in which more than 1,000 daily heat records were set. — Ignacio Calderon, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026

Europe saw a series of record-shattering heat waves this summer, along with wildfires in places that typically do not see them, such as the UK. — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026

Kansas City’s late-summer heat wave lingers one more day, with temperatures Wednesday expected to climb into the 90s before cooler weather arrives, according to the National Weather Service. — Kansas City Star, 9 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for heat wave

• agave
• behave
• concave
• conclave
• enclave
• engrave
• enslave
• forgave
• landgrave
• margrave
• shortwave
• aftershave

Kids Definition

heat wave

noun

: a period of unusually hot weather