Phrase guide

heat lightning

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

Lightning and/or thunder which the observer attributes to heat rather than a storm (e.g. because the storm/rain is too distant to be seen, or because there is no rain, as with dry lighting).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Lightning and/or thunder which the observer attributes to heat rather than a storm (e.g. because the storm/rain is too distant to be seen, or because there is no rain, as with dry lighting).

Visible lightning that occurs too far away for the resulting thunder to be audible by the observer.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Lightning and/or thunder which the observer attributes to heat rather than a storm (e.g. because the storm/rain is too distant to be seen, or because there is no rain, as with dry lighting).

Thunder that is heard without lightning being seen by the observer; heat thunder.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncommon, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

bright flashes of light near the horizon without thunder (especially on hot evenings); usually attributed to distant lightning that is reflected by clouds

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: lightning

History

Etymology

So called because it is common on hot summer nights and is sometimes popularly thought to be caused by heat rather storms.

Across languages

Translations

9 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: llampó — heat lightning
  • Danish: kornmod — heat lightning
  • Dutch: weerlicht — heat lightning
  • Finnish: elosalama — heat lightning
  • German: Wetterleuchten — heat lightning
  • Icelandic: eldingarbjarmi — heat lightning
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: kornmo — heat lightning
  • Russian: зарни́ца (zarníca) — heat lightning
  • Swedish: kornblixt — heat lightning