warmth
Americannoun
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the quality or state of being warm; moderate or gentle heat.
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the sensation of moderate heat.
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liveliness of feelings, emotions, or sympathies; ardor or fervor; enthusiasm or zeal.
She spoke her mind with great warmth. There was warmth in his greeting and in his handshake.
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the quality of being intimate and attached.
All children need warmth and affection from their families.
- Synonyms:
- affection, kindness, tenderness
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an effect of brightness, cheerfulness, coziness, etc., achieved by the use of warm colors.
The room has warmth since it was redecorated.
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the means or ability to produce a sensation of heat.
a jacket with little warmth.
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slight anger or irritation.
Her denial betrayed some warmth.
noun
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the state, quality, or sensation of being warm
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intensity of emotion
he denied the accusation with some warmth
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affection or cordiality
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of warmth
First recorded in 1125–75, warmth is from the Middle English word wermth. See warm, -th 1
Explanation
Warmth is a quality of comfortable, soothing heat, like the warmth of a crackling fire in the hearth or the warmth of your cat in your lap. When you feel the sensation of being warm, that's warmth. You'll enjoy the warmth of a car's heated seats when you climb in after sledding for hours, as well as the warmth of a big mug of hot chocolate in your hands once you're home. Besides this literal heat-related warmth, there's also the figurative warmth of kindness and good feelings: "The warmth of my mom's smile makes everyone feel at home."
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.
Geopolitics has proved hard to overcome, though a few hardcore tourists still make the trip and leave deeply moved by Cubans’ warmth and resilience, Foda said.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026
The Met Office's chief operational meteorologist Dan Suri also said the high temperatures were due to "the influence of warmth building under an area of high pressure near the UK."
From BBC • May 26, 2026
His engineers turned down the request, and the McLarens stuck with the inters, Norris using their extra warmth and poor starts from both Mercedes to take the lead.
From BBC • May 24, 2026
For Zhou, the retiree, the scene in the movie where Captain von Trapp plays guitar and sings “Edelweiss” to his seven children has always left her with feelings of warmth and tranquility.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
It was hard to leave the warmth and comfort of the house behind us, and be out there again, walking through the cold of the night.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
