endothermic

American  

[en-doh-thur-mik] / ˌɛn doʊˈθɜr mɪk /

Also endothermal

adjective

1. Chemistry. noting or pertaining to a chemical change that is accompanied by an absorption of heat (opposed to exothermic).

2. Zoology. warm-blooded.

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endothermic British  

/ ˌɛndəʊˈθɜːmɪk /

adjective

1. (of a chemical reaction or compound) occurring or formed with the absorption of heat Compare exothermic endoergic

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endothermic Scientific  

/ ĕn′dō-thûr′mĭk /

1. Relating to a chemical reaction that absorbs heat.

2. Compare exothermic

3. Warm-blooded.

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Other Word Forms

• endothermically adverb
• endothermism noun
• endothermy noun

Etymology

Origin of endothermic

< French endothermique (1879); see endo-, -therm, -ic

Compare meaning

How does endothermic compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• endothermic vs. exothermic

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.

Example Sentences

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

As described in the chapter on thermochemistry, the reverse of an endothermic process is exothermic.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

This condition describes an endothermic process that involves an increase in system entropy.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

Melting, vaporization, and sublimation are all endothermic processes, requiring an input of heat to overcome intermolecular attractions.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

This is because acetylene has stored up heat in its formation instead of giving it off as in most reactions, or to put it in chemical language, acetylene is an endothermic compound.

From Creative Chemistry Descriptive of Recent Achievements in the Chemical Industries by Slosson, Edwin E.