hot

[ hot ]

adjective

, hot·ter, hot·test.

1. having or giving off heat; having a high temperature:

   a hot fire;

   hot coffee.

   Synonyms: sultry, torrid, boiling, scorching, burning, fiery, heated

   Antonyms: cold

2. having or causing a sensation of great bodily heat; attended with or producing such a sensation:

   He was hot with fever.

3. creating a burning sensation, as on the skin or in the throat:

   This ointment is hot, so apply it sparingly.

4. sharply peppery or pungent:

   Is this mustard hot?

   Synonyms: piquant, biting, spicy, sharp

5. having or showing intense or violent feeling; ardent; fervent; vehement; excited:

   a hot temper.

   Synonyms: violent, irate, furious, angry, impetuous, excitable, intense, passionate, fiery, fervid

6. Informal. having a strong enthusiasm; eager:

   a hot baseball fan.

7. Slang.
   1. sexually aroused; lustful.
   2. sexy; attractive.
8. violent, furious, or intense:

   the hottest battle of the war.

9. strong or fresh, as a scent or trail.
10. absolutely new; fresh:

    a dozen new mystery stories hot from the press.

11. requiring immediate delivery or correspondence; demanding priority:

    The hot freight must be delivered by 10:00 a.m. tomorrow, or we'll lose the contract.

12. Slang. skillful in a reckless or daring way:

    a hot pilot.

13. following very closely; close:

    to be hot on the trail of a thief.

14. (of colors) extremely intense:

    hot pink.

15. Informal. popular and commercially successful; in demand; marketable:

    The Beatles were a hot group in the 1960s.

16. Slang. extremely lucky, good, or favorable:

    A poker player has to have a hot hand to win the pot.

17. Slang. (in sports and games) playing well or winningly; scoring effectively:

    a hot pitcher.

18. Slang. funny; absurd:

    That's a hot one!

19. Games. close to the object or answer that is being sought.
20. Informal. extremely exciting or interesting; sensational or scandalous:

    a hot news story.

21. Jazz.
    1. (of music) emotionally intense, propulsive, and marked by aggressive attack and warm, full tone.
    2. (of a musician) skilled in playing hot jazz.
22. Informal. (of a vehicle) capable of attaining extremely high speeds:

    a hot new jet plane.

23. Slang.
    1. stolen recently or otherwise illegal and dangerous to possess:

       a hot diamond necklace.

    2. wanted by the police.
    3. dangerous.
24. Informal. in the mood to perform exceedingly well, or rapidly, as during a burst of creative work:

    Finish writing that story while you're still hot.

25. actively conducting an electric current or containing a high voltage:

    a hot wire.

26. of, relating to, or noting radioactivity.
27. Metalworking. noting any process involving plastic deformation of a metal at a temperature high enough to permit recrystallization due to the strain:

    hot working.

adverb

1. in a hot manner; hotly.
2. while hot:

   Garnish the potatoes with parsley and serve hot.

3. Metalworking. at a temperature high enough to permit recrystallization:

   The wire was drawn hot.

verb (used with or without object)

, hot·ted, hot·ting.

1. Chiefly British Informal. to heat; warm (usually followed by up ).

noun

1. the hots, Slang. intense sexual desire or attraction.

hot

/ hɒt /

adjective

1. having a relatively high temperature
2. having a temperature higher than desirable
3. causing or having a sensation of bodily heat
4. causing a burning sensation on the tongue

   a hot curry

   hot mustard

5. expressing or feeling intense emotion, such as embarrassment, anger, or lust
6. intense or vehement

   a hot argument

7. recent; fresh; new

   a hot trial

   hot from the press

8. ball games (of a ball) thrown or struck hard, and so difficult to respond to
9. much favoured or approved

   a hot favourite

   a hot tip

10. informal.
    having a dangerously high level of radioactivity

    a hot laboratory

11. slang.
    (of goods or money) stolen, smuggled, or otherwise illegally obtained
12. slang.
    (of people) being sought by the police
13. informal.
    sexually attractive
14. (of a colour) intense; striking

    hot pink

15. close or following closely

    hot on the scent

16. informal.
    at a dangerously high electric potential

    a hot terminal

17. physics having an energy level higher than that of the ground state

    a hot atom

18. slang.
    impressive or good of its kind (esp in the phrase not so hot )
19. slang.
    jazz arousing great excitement or enthusiasm by inspired improvisation, strong rhythms, etc
20. informal.
    dangerous or unpleasant (esp in the phrase make it hot for someone )
21. (in various searching or guessing games) very near the answer or object to be found
22. metallurgy (of a process) at a sufficiently high temperature for metal to be in a soft workable state
23. informal.
    (of a price, charge, etc) excessive
24. give it hot or give it to someone hot
    to punish or thrash someone
25. hot on informal.
    1. very severe

       the police are hot on drunk drivers

    2. particularly skilled at or knowledgeable about

       he's hot on vintage cars

26. hot under the collar informal.
    aroused with anger, annoyance, etc
27. in hot water informal.
    in trouble, esp with those in authority

adverb

1. in a hot manner; hotly

Derived Forms

• ˈhotly, adverb
• ˈhotness, noun

Other Words From

• hot·ly adverb
• hot·ness noun
• o·ver·hot adjective
• o·ver·hot·ly adverb
• ul·tra·hot adjective
• un·hot adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of hot¹

First recorded before 1000; 1920–25 hot fordef 23; Middle English ho(o)t, Old English hāt; cognate with Dutch heet, Old Norse heitr, Swedish het, Danish hed, German heiss

Word History and Origins

Origin of hot¹

Old English hāt; related to Old High German heiz, Old Norse heitr, Gothic heito fever

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. get hot, Slang. (in sports and games) to become very effective or successful; score or win repeatedly or easily.
2. hot and bothered, Informal. excited, aroused, or flustered: Also all hot and bothered.

   This mistake isn't worth getting hot and bothered about.

3. hot and heavy, Informal. in an intense, vehement, or passionate manner:

   They argued hot and heavy for 20 minutes.

4. make it hot for, Informal. to make something unpleasant for; cause trouble for:

   Ever since their argument the principal has been making it hot for the new teacher.

5. hot under the collar. collar ( def 23 ).

More idioms and phrases containing hot

• blow hot and cold
• like a cat on hot bricks
• like hot cakes
• make it hot for
• piping hot
• strike while the iron's hot

Example Sentences

New Curtin University-led research has uncovered what may be the oldest direct evidence of ancient hot water activity on Mars, revealing the planet may have been habitable at some point in its past.

From Science Daily

And across the age spectrum, McFarland said, gift card scams are hot right now.

From Los Angeles Times

Indirectly, Kansas brought him here, to Lancaster County, on this hot September afternoon.

From New York Times

When they cracked open the crust that formed beneath the flames, Ochando and his team found hot green leaves dripping with labdanum.

From Science Magazine

The country plans to use them primarily in the capital, Kinshasa, which has become a new hot spot for mpox spread, primarily in adults.

From Science Magazine

Related Words

• blazing
• boiling
• heated
• humid
• red
• scorching
• sizzling
• sultry
• sweltering
• torrid
• tropical
• warm
• white