hot

- definition

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Thesaurus

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adjective

/hɑt/

adjective	hot
comparative	hotter
superlative	hottest

Synonyms

1
very high in temperature
Cook the fish on a hot grill for 5 minutes.
Her forehead still feels hot.
It’s so hot in here – can’t we open a window?
boiling/scalding hot (=extremely hot):
a pan of boiling hot water
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hot
1. a.
  feeling uncomfortable because the temperature is too high or you are wearing too many clothes
  Take your jacket off if you’re hot.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hot
2. b.
  used about the weather
  It’s going to be hot again today.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hot
3. c.
  where the weather is often hot
  hot countries such as India and Panama
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hot
4. d.
  cooked and served hot
  I haven’t had a hot meal in days.
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2
hot food contains a lot of spices that create a burning feeling in your mouth
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3
informal involving strong emotions
a hot love affair/romance
have a hot temper (=get angry easily):
Our coach has a really hot temper.
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1. a.
  a hot issue is important and causes arguments because people strongly disagree
  Health care became a hot topic during the presidential campaign.
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4
informal exciting and interesting, especially because of being new
hot news about impending changes in Cabinet
the hot new look in women’s fashions
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1. a.
  exciting, successful, and popular
  one of Hollywood’s hottest young directors
  a hot property (=someone in acting, sport, business, etc. who has just become very successful):
  She’s a very hot property in television.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hot
5
informal especially good in some way
a hot tip (=a useful piece of advice)
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1. a.
  very skillful
  a hot musician/dancer/player
  hot at:
  Kyle’s pretty hot at tennis.
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2. b.
  very lucky
  hot cards/dice
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6
difficult, or dangerous
hot for:
When things got too hot for her at home, she’d stay with a friend.
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7
informal involving sexual feelings or images
love scenes that are too hot for TV
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1. a.
  sexually attractive
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2. b.
  eager to have sex
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8
informal determined to do something
hot for:
Hot for revenge, the soldiers marched northward toward the capital.
hot to do something:
Gail’s very hot to travel and teach in South America.
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9
informal involving a lot of activity or competition
The property market is very hot these days.
hot competition:
There is hot competition from other companies to win the contract.
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10
informal stolen and being looked for by the police
a hot car
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11
spoken used in a children’s game for saying that you are very close to finding something, or to guessing the right answer
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hot

phrases

(all) hot and bothered
upset and confused, for example because you have too much to do
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hot
go hot and cold
to suddenly become very nervous, afraid, or confused about something
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hot off the press(es)
only just printed, or only just received
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hot on something
interested in something and knowing a lot about it
Elizabeth’s really hot on nuclear physics.
They’re very hot on safety in the workplace.
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hot on the heels of
arriving or happening very close behind someone or something
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hot on the trail of
1. 1
  very close behind someone or something, and about to catch them
  He got away but the police are hot on his trail.
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2. 2
  very close to finding something
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hot to trot
informal
eager to do something, especially to have sex
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hot under the collar
very annoyed or nervous
We disagree with each other from time to time, and we both get a little hot under the collar.
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in hot pursuit
chasing someone in a very determined way
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in hot water
in trouble because of something that you have done
land/get someone in hot water:
Rick’s temper had landed him in hot water again.
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not so/too hot
spoken
1. 1
  not of a very high quality or standard
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2. 2
  not feeling very well or very happy
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run/blow hot and cold
to change your mind a lot about whether you like someone or something
The European Union keeps blowing hot and cold on the issue of membership.
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too hot to handle
too difficult or dangerous to get involved with
The exiled leader was becoming too hot to handle and the government decided to expel him.
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Synonyms: hot

tepid almost cold: used especially of liquids: a mouthful of tepid coffee

lukewarm only slightly hot: used especially of food or liquids: Wash the sweater in lukewarm water.

warm pleasantly hot: a warm sunny day ♦ a nice warm bath

sweltering very hot in a way that is unpleasant or uncomfortable, used especially for describing the weather: the sweltering August heat

boiling (hot) very hot in a way that is unpleasant or uncomfortable. Also used for referring to the temperature of a liquid when it starts to bubble: Can you turn the heating down? I’m boiling. ♦ Plunge the pasta into boiling water.

scalding (hot) hot enough to burn your skin, used for referring to the temperature of liquids: The bath water was scalding hot.

roasting extremely hot: used especially for referring to the temperature inside a place rather than outside: Phew! It’s roasting in here!

baking very hot and dry: the baking heat of the afternoon sun

This is the American English definition of hot. View British English definition of hot.

Change your default dictionary and thesaurus to British English.

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a speech habit in which a speaker lowers their voice at the end of a sentence

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hot

What are red words?

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Related dictionary definitions

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phrases

(all) hot and bothered

go hot and cold

hot off the press(es)

hot on something

hot on the heels of

hot on the trail of

hot to trot

hot under the collar

in hot pursuit

in hot water

not so/too hot

run/blow hot and cold

too hot to handle

vocal fry

Word of the Day

watchword

conflict mineral