calorific

American  

[kal-uh-rif-ik] / ˌkæl əˈrɪf ɪk /

adjective

1. pertaining to conversion into heat.

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calorific British  

/ ˌkæləˈrɪfɪk /

adjective

1. of, concerning, or generating heat

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Other Word Forms

• calorifically adverb
• uncalorific adjective

Etymology

Origin of calorific

1675–85; < Late Latin calōrificus causing warmth, warming, equivalent to calōri- (stem of calor heat) + -ficus -fic

Explanation

Calorific is a good word for describing something that generates heat. A motorcycle race can be calorific in at least two ways: The engines get burning hot, and watching the race can make you burn with excitement. In today's diet-obsessed world, you'd be forgiven for thinking that calorific means "filled with calories." In fact, when you do something calorific you don't load up on calories; you get rid of them. Say you drink a bottle of soda and then jump on the treadmill. All those calories you just poured down your throat? You're burning them up, turning them into heat. Running is a calorific activity. And a sweaty one.

Example Sentences

Around 14,000 of the prisoners died after liberation, their digestive systems unable to cope with the high calorific, rich, sustenance offered by well-meaning cooks and medics.

From BBC • Apr. 26, 2025

“From my point of view, however, meat was and is not necessarily nutritionally relevant. Proteins alone do not have a particularly high calorific value,” Kindler adds.

From Scientific American • Oct. 25, 2023

Since butter is very calorific and fat-rich, some people may want to look at using butter alternatives for the base of their butter board.

From Salon • Oct. 27, 2022

Thankfully for the fans in attendance who purchased the calorific concoction, they walked away with a sweet playoff victory in addition to their heartburn.

From Washington Times • May 8, 2022

The gas current is simultaneously observed by a suitable meter, which, with subsidiary corrections for pressure, temperature, &c., gives the necessary data for deducing calorific value.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 1 "Calhoun" to "Camoens" by Various