endothermic
Americanadjective
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Chemistry. noting or pertaining to a chemical change that is accompanied by an absorption of heat (opposed to exothermic).
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Zoology. warm-blooded.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of endothermic
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How does endothermic compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
An endothermic reaction is one that absorbs or uses heat energy. Just ask a melting snowman about it. What do green leaves, boiled eggs, and split gas molecules have in common? They have all undergone endothermic reactions, absorbing heat. But just because there’s heat involved doesn’t mean an endothermic reaction is the cause. Its polar — er thermal — opposite, exothermic describes a reaction that makes or gives off heat. It can be easy to confuse the two, but if you can remember that endo means “in” and exo means "out," the heat might not get to you so much.
Vocabulary lists containing endothermic
Chemistry - High School
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The ACT Science Test: Physics Review
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Chemistry: Chemical Reactions
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
New analysis techniques developed in recent years have provided strong evidence that theropods like T. rex, velociraptors and other two-legged dinosaurs were endothermic animals like mammals and birds, rather than cold-blooded, or exothermic, like reptiles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
On the other hand, being endothermic could have also contributed to megalodon's extinction, since constantly regulating body temperature like this would have expended more energy and thus required more food.
From Salon ● Mar. 10, 2025
This condition describes an endothermic process that involves a decrease in system entropy.
From Textbooks ● Feb. 14, 2019
The process is endothermic, and so the extent of ionization and the resulting concentrations of hydronium ion and hydroxide ion increase with temperature.
From Textbooks ● Feb. 14, 2019
The toxic action of the impurities of crude acetylene is discussed in Chapter V. Acetylene is an "endothermic" compound, as has been mentioned in Chapter II., where the meaning of the expression endothermic is explained.
From Acetylene, the Principles of Its Generation and Use A Practical Handbook on the Production, Purification, and Subsequent Treatment of Acetylene for the Development of Light, Heat, and Power by F. H. (Frank Henley) Leeds
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