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

Silk is known to have great temperature-regulating qualities, so these will lock in the heat during the winter and keep you cool in the summer. —Kaitlin Clapinski, InStyle, 10 Jan. 2026

Both anchovy paste and tomato paste can add depth to dressings, sauces, and pasta dishes; sherry vinegar is ideal for vinaigrettes and glazes; a jar of capers can elevate simple hors d'oeuvres; and chili sambals can bring the heat to eggs, marinades, and stir-fries. —Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 9 Jan. 2026

Based on the previews, however, the obviousness of her selection is going to come up soon, and based on her tenure on RHOBH, Lisa has never been good at deflecting the heat. —Brian Moylan, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026

The quality of the heat and steam matter, the space matters, the hospitality matters. —Julia Sayers Gokhale, Midwest Living, 9 Jan. 2026

Rhymes for the heat

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