I. hot 1 S1 W2 /hɒt $ hɑːt/ BrE AmE adjective ( comparative hotter , superlative hottest )
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: hat ]
1 . HIGH TEMPERATURE
a) something that is hot has a high temperature – used about weather, places, food, drink, or objects OPP cold :
a hot day in July
It’s so hot in here. Can I open the window?
Be careful, the water’s very hot.
The bar serves hot and cold food.
people who live in hot countries (=where the weather is usually hot)
scorching/baking/roasting hot (also boiling/broiling hot )American English (=used about weather that is very hot)
a scorching hot week in August
stifling/sweltering/unbearably hot (=used about weather that is very hot and uncomfortable)
The office gets unbearably hot in summer.
boiling/scalding/steaming hot (=used about liquid that is extremely hot)
The coffee was scalding hot.
piping hot (=used about food that is nice and hot)
Serve the soup piping hot.
red hot (=used to describe an object or surface that is very hot)
The handle was red hot.
white hot (=used to describe metal that is extremely hot)
He held the metal in the flame until it became white hot.
b) if you feel hot, your body feels hot in a way that is uncomfortable:
I was hot and tired after the journey.
The wine made her feel hot.
c) if clothes are hot, they make you feel too hot in a way that is uncomfortable:
This sweater’s too hot to wear inside.
2 . SPICY food that tastes hot has a burning taste because it contains strong spices OPP mild :
a hot curry
3 . VERY POPULAR/FASHIONABLE informal something or someone that is hot is very popular or fashionable, and everyone wants to use them, see them, buy them etc:
one of the hottest young directors in Hollywood
Michael Owen is already one of soccer’s hottest properties (=actors or sports players who are very popular) .
The movie is going to be this summer’s hot ticket (=an event that is very popular or fashionable, and that everyone wants to go and see) .
be the hottest thing since (sliced bread) (=used about someone or something that is very good and popular, so that everyone wants them)
4 . GOOD informal very good, especially in a way that is exciting:
a hot young guitar player
a hot piece of software
His new film is hot stuff (=very good) .
be hot at doing something
She’s pretty hot at swimming, too.
not so hot/not very hot informal (=not very good)
Some of the tracks on the record are great, but others are not so hot.
be hot shit American English informal not polite (=used about someone or something that people think is very good)
5 . SEXY
a) informal someone who is hot is very attractive sexually:
The girls all think he’s hot stuff.
b) informal a film, book, photograph etc that is hot is sexually exciting:
his hot and steamy first novel
c) a hot date informal a meeting with someone who you feel very attracted to sexually:
She has a hot date with Michel.
d) be hot on/for somebody informal to be sexually attracted to someone
6 . DIFFICULT/DANGEROUS [not before noun] informal difficult or dangerous to deal with:
If things get too hot (=a situation becomes too difficult or dangerous to deal with) , I can always leave.
Wilkinson found his opponent a little too hot to handle (=too difficult to deal with or beat) .
The climate was too hot politically to make such radical changes.
7 . a hot issue/topic etc a subject that a lot of people are discussing, especially one that causes a lot of disagreement:
The affair was a hot topic of conversation.
one of the hottest issues facing medical science
8 . in the hot seat in an important position and responsible for making difficult decisions
9 . in hot water if someone is in hot water, they are in trouble because they have done something wrong:
The finance minister found himself in hot water over his business interests.
land/get yourself in hot water
She got herself in hot water with the authorities.
10 . ANGRY
a) get hot under the collar spoken to become angry – used especially when people get angry in an unreasonable way about something that is not important:
I don’t understand why people are getting so hot under the collar about it.
b) have a hot temper someone who has a hot temper becomes angry very easily ⇨ ↑ hot-tempered
11 . hot and bothered informal upset and confused because you have too much to think about or because you are in a hurry:
People were struggling with bags and cases, looking hot and bothered.
12 . have/hold something in your hot little hand informal used to emphasize that you have something:
You’ll have the report in your hot little hands by Monday.
13 . RECENT/EXCITING NEWS hot news is about very recent events and therefore interesting or exciting:
Do you want to hear about all the latest hot gossip?
14 . be hot off the press if news or a newspaper is hot off the press, it has just recently been printed
15 . CHASING SOMEBODY/SOMETHING CLOSELY
a) in hot pursuit following someone quickly and closely because you want to catch them:
The car sped away, with the police in hot pursuit.
b) hot on sb’s trail/tail close to and likely to catch someone you have been chasing:
The other car was hot on his tail.
c) hot on sb’s heels following very close behind someone:
Mrs Bass’s dog was already hot on his heels.
16 . come/follow hot on the heels of something to happen or be done very soon after something else:
The news came hot on the heels of another plane crash.
17 . hot on the trail of something very close to finding something:
journalists hot on the trail of a news story
18 . blow/go hot and cold to keep changing your mind about whether you like or want to do something:
She keeps blowing hot and cold about the wedding.
19 . go hot and cold to experience a strange feeling in which your body temperature suddenly changes, because you are very frightened, worried, or shocked
20 . I don’t feel too hot/so hot/very hot spoken informal I feel slightly ill:
I’m not feeling too hot today.
21 . be hot on something informal
a) to know a lot about something:
He’s pretty hot on aircraft.
b) British English to be very strict about something SYN tight :
The company is very hot on security.
22 . be hot for something informal to be ready for something and want it very much:
Europe is hot for a product like this.
He was hot for revenge.
23 . be hot to trot informal
a) to be ready to do something or be involved with something
b) to feel sexually excited and want to have sex with someone
24 . hot competition if the competition between people or companies is hot, they are all trying very hard to win or succeed:
Competition for the best jobs is getting hotter all the time.
25 . hot favourite the person, team, horse etc that people think is most likely to win
26 . hot tip a good piece of advice about the likely result of a race, business deal etc:
a hot tip on the stock market
27 . STOLEN GOODS informal goods that are hot have been stolen
28 . MUSIC informal music that is hot has a strong exciting ↑ rhythm
29 . more something than you’ve had hot dinners British English spoken humorous used to say that someone has had a lot of experience of something and has done it many times:
She’s delivered more babies than you’ve had hot dinners.
30 . hot money money that is frequently moved from one country to another in order to make a profit
⇨ ↑ hotly , ↑ hots
• • •
THESAURUS
■ person
▪ hot used especially when you feel uncomfortable:
I feel really hot.
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The travellers were hot, tired, and thirsty.
▪ warm a little hot, especially in a way that feels comfortable:
Are you warm enough?
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We had to keep moving in order to keep warm.
▪ boiling (hot) spoken very hot:
You must be boiling in that sweater!
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‘I’m going for a swim,' said Gary. ’I’m boiling.'
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I felt boiling hot and tried to open one of the windows.
▪ feverish feeling very hot because you are ill:
His head ached and he felt feverish.
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Hannah was slightly feverish, so we decided to call the doctor.
■ weather
▪ hot used especially when you feel uncomfortable:
a hot day
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It’s too hot to do any work.
▪ warm a little hot, especially in a way that seems pleasant:
a warm summer’s evening
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It’s supposed to be a bit warmer tomorrow.
▪ boiling (hot) spoken very hot:
The weather was boiling hot.
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a boiling hot day
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It was absolutely boiling this lunchtime.
▪ baking (hot) British English very hot and dry:
a baking hot afternoon
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The weather was baking hot and conditions at the camp became unbearable.
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It’s baking out there in the garden – I need a drink.
▪ scorching (hot) very hot:
It was another scorching hot July day.
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When we got there, the weather was scorching.
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Arizona is scorching hot every day.
▪ humid/muggy hot and damp:
This week sees a return to more humid conditions.
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Hong Kong gets very humid at this time of year.
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In June the weather was often muggy in the evenings.
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It was a warm muggy afternoon, and it looked like it would rain.
■ room
▪ hot used especially when you feel uncomfortable:
The office was uncomfortably hot.
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The meeting was in a tiny hot room with no air conditioning.
▪ warm a little hot, especially in a way that seems pleasant:
It’s nice and warm by the fire.
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They were all sitting in the warm kitchen, sipping mugs of cocoa.
▪ boiling (hot) spoken very hot:
It’s boiling in here. Can I open the window?
|
a boiling hot New York recording studio
▪ like an oven much too hot in a way that is uncomfortable – used about rooms and buildings:
The inside of the shed was like an oven.
■ food/liquid/something you touch
▪ hot :
a hot drink
|
hot meals
|
Eat your food while it’s hot.
▪ warm a little hot, especially in a way that seems pleasant:
The bread was still warm from the oven.
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the warm waters of the Caribbean
▪ boiling (hot) spoken very hot:
The water’s boiling hot.
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Boiling-hot steam shoots out from underground.
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The mud in the pools is boiling.
▪ lukewarm /ˌluːkˈwɔːm◂ $ -ˈwɔːrm◂/ slightly warm, but not hot enough – used about liquids:
a cup of lukewarm coffee
|
The bath water was lukewarm.
II. hot 2 BrE AmE verb ( past tense and past participle hotted , present participle hotting )
hot up phrasal verb British English informal
1 . if something hots up, there is more activity or excitement:
Things generally hot up a few days before the race.
2 . the pace hots up used to say that the speed of something increases
• • •
THESAURUS
■ describing the taste of something
▪ delicious having a very good taste:
This cake is delicious!
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a delicious meal
▪ disgusting/revolting having a very bad taste:
The medicine tasted disgusting.
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They had to eat revolting things, like fish eyes.
▪ sweet tasting full of sugar:
The oranges were very sweet.
▪ tasty especially spoken tasting good and with plenty of flavour:
She cooked us a simple but tasty meal.
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That was really tasty!
▪ sour/tart having a taste that stings your tongue slightly, like lemon does – used especially when this is rather unpleasant:
The apples were a little sour.
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The wine has rather a tart taste, which not everyone will like.
▪ tangy having a taste that stings your tongue slightly, like lemon does, in a way that seems good:
The dressing was nice and tangy.
▪ bitter having a strong taste which is not sweet and is sometimes rather unpleasant – used for example about black coffee, or chocolate without sugar:
bitter chocolate
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The medicine had rather a bitter taste.
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Hops give beer its distinctive bitter taste.
▪ salty containing a lot of salt:
Danish salami has a salty flavour.
▪ hot/spicy having a burning taste because it contains strong spices:
I love hot curries.
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a spicy tomato sauce
▪ piquant /ˈpiːkənt/ formal a little spicy – used especially by people who write about food. This word can sound rather ↑ pretentious in everyday conversation:
cooked vegetables in a piquant sauce
▪ mild not having a strong or hot taste – usually used about foods that can sometimes be spicy:
a mild curry
▪ bland not having an interesting taste:
I found the sauce rather bland.