Spanish word

calentar

Pronunciation

IPA/kalenˈtaɾ/

Meaning

  • verbwarm

Example

¿Puedes calentar la comida en el microondas?

Can you warm the food in the microwave?

Illustration for calentar (warm)

More examples

Antes de correr, suelo calentar los músculos.

Before running, I usually warm up the muscles.

Core concept

Raising an object's temperature until it feels warm to the touch.

Common phrases

  • calentar la comida

    warm the food

  • calentar el agua

    warm the water

  • calentar los músculos

    warm up the muscles

Similar words

recalentar: Bringing once-cooled meals or beverages back to a warm temperature using heat.
abrigar: Covering a person with garments or blankets to maintain warmth.
entibiar: Gently raising a cold item's temperature so it becomes mildly warm.

Definition in Spanish

Hacer que un objeto o alimento alcance una temperatura más alta mediante la acción del calor.

Word origin

From Latin calēre through Vulgar Latin calentare, forming the Spanish verb meaning to make something warm.

Usage tips

  • Used reflexively as calentarse it means to become warm or to get emotionally heated, so context determines whether the meaning is literal or figurative.

Other meanings

  • heat upverb
  • arouseverb
  • rileverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word