the heat

noun

: pressure to do something

The administration is putting the heat on legislators to approve the tax bill.

She's at her best when the heat is on with tight deadlines.

The company has turned up the heat on its employees to finish the job quickly.

Note: The expression if you can't stand/take the heat, get out of the kitchen means that you should not try to do a difficult job if you cannot deal with the pressure and problems that are part of the job.

Examples of the heat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Turn the heat to medium and cook, stirring continuously, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pot, 2–3 minutes. —Saveur Editors, Saveur, 19 Dec. 2025

Also, the merino wool blend is naturally insulating and stays warm even before the heat kicks in, while also solidly wicking away moisture. —Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 18 Dec. 2025

Tell us about the heat Friday in the Miami and Fort Lauderdale areas could reach record-high temperatures. —Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 18 Dec. 2025

Summer-grade gasoline is reformulated and requires more additives to keep the fuel from evaporating as easily during the heat and, therefore, from emitting more pollutants into the air. —Jordan Blum, Fortune, 17 Dec. 2025

Rhymes for the heat

• amit
• athlete
• backseat
• blackfeet
• broadsheet
• browbeat
• buckwheat
• compete
• compleat
• complete
• conceit
• concrete