INDEX:
1. objects/surfaces/liquids
2. food/drink
3. room/place/weather
4. warm, but not hot
5. when you feel hot
6. clothes that make you warm
7. to get hot or hotter
8. to make something hot or hotter
9. to make someone warmer
10. how hot something is
RELATED WORDS
opposite
↑ COLD
food that has a hot taste : ↑ TASTE (6)
see also
↑ WEATHER
↑ SWEAT
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1. objects/surfaces/liquids
▷ hot /hɒtǁhɑːt/ [adjective]
▪ The sand on the beach was hot under our feet.
▪ Be careful! That pan’s still very hot.
▪ At the end of the day all I want to do is to relax in a nice hot bath.
▪ The hottest part of the engine is the cylinder head.
burning hot
hot enough to burn you
▪ Don’t touch the barbecue - it’s burning hot.
red/white hot
extremely hot - use this about metal or things that are burning
▪ Cook the steaks over red hot coals.
▪ The white-hot metal sculptures are moved to a cooling room.
▷ heat /hiːt/ [uncountable noun]
the high temperature that something has :
▪ The heat of the water caused the glass to shatter.
▪ The reaction gives off tremendous heat.
▪ Once the coals are ready, close the lid of the barbecue to keep in the heat.
▷ boiling/boiling hot /ˈbɔɪlɪŋ, ˌbɔɪlɪŋ ˈhɒt◂ǁ-ˈhɑːt◂/ [adjective]
a liquid that is boiling or boiling hot is extremely hot and has bubbles coming up to its surface :
▪ Add the pasta to 4 quarts of boiling water.
▪ The mud in the pools is boiling.
▪ Boiling-hot steam shoots out from underground.
boiling point
the temperature at which a particular liquid starts to boil
▪ Bring the milk to the boiling point over a low heat.
▷ scalding/scalding hot /ˈskɔːldɪŋ, ˌskɔːldɪŋ ˈhɒt◂ǁ-ˈhɑːt◂/ [adjective usually before noun]
liquid that is scalding or scalding hot is so hot that it will burn you badly if you touch it :
▪ The factory sends scalding water into the river nearby.
▪ The bathwater was scalding hot.
▷ molten /ˈməʊlt ə n/ [adjective only before noun]
molten metal, rock, plastic etc is so hot that it has turned into liquid :
▪ Molten iron is poured into huge moulds and allowed to cool.
▪ Rivers of molten rock were flowing down the sides of the volcano.
2. food/drink
▷ hot /hɒtǁhɑːt/ [adjective]
▪ The soup’s very hot. Let it cool down a bit.
▪ The waitress set down a pot of hot tea and a plate of cakes.
▪ Dozens of volunteers serve hot meals to 200 homeless people every night.
▷ piping hot /ˌpaɪpɪŋ ˈhɒt◂ǁ-ˈhɑːt◂/ [adjective phrase]
food that is piping hot has just been cooked and is very hot, especially in a way that makes it seem good to eat :
▪ Heat the fish under a grill and serve piping hot.
▪ She handed him a piping hot bread roll and a steaming cup of coffee.
▷ steaming/steaming hot /ˈstiːmɪŋ, ˌstiːmɪŋ ˈhɒt◂ǁ-ˈhɑːt◂/ [adjective/adjective phrase]
a drink or a food such as soup that is steaming or steaming hot is very hot, so that you can see the steam coming from it :
▪ Cooper held a steaming mug of coffee.
▪ The soup was served steaming hot in a large bowl.
▷ scalding/scalding hot /ˈskɔːldɪŋ, ˌskɔːldɪŋ ˈhɒt◂ǁ-ˈhɑːt◂/ [adjective/adjective phrase]
a drink that is scalding or scalding hot is so hot that it hurts your mouth if you try to drink it :
▪ I burned my mouth on the scalding hot coffee.
▪ a cup of scalding tea
3. room/place/weather
▷ hot /hɒtǁhɑːt/ [adjective]
▪ The weather’s been very hot lately.
▪ I make a lot of salads during hot weather.
▪ a hot summer’s day
▪ The Gobi desert is one of the hottest places on earth.
it’s hot
▪ It’s hot in here. Isn’t the air conditioner working?
▪ It was much too hot in his office to do any work.
▪ It’s going to be a hot, sunny day.
▷ the heat /ðə ˈhiːt/ [singular noun]
high temperatures caused by hot weather, especially when this makes you feel uncomfortable in a room or outdoors :
▪ Don’t leave food sitting out in the heat.
▪ the heat and dryness of an Arizona summer
the heat of the day
▪ Avoid running or other vigorous exercise during the heat of the day.
▷ boiling/boiling hot /ˈbɔɪlɪŋ, ˌbɔɪlɪŋ ˈhɒt◂ǁ-ˈhɑːt◂/ [adjective] spoken
very hot :
▪ It was a boiling hot day in August.
it’s boiling/boiling hot
▪ Leave the door open, it’s boiling in here.
▷ broiling /ˈbrɔɪlɪŋ/ [adjective usually before noun] American, especially spoken
very hot and uncomfortable :
▪ a broiling summer day
broiling heat
▪ the incredible broiling heat of a Mississippi summer
broiling sun
▪ Troops stood at attention under a broiling noon sun.
▷ baking/baking hot /ˈbeɪkɪŋ, ˌbeɪkɪŋ ˈhɒt◂ǁ-ˈhɑːt◂/ [adjective]
weather that is baking or baking hot is very hot and dry :
▪ The weather was baking hot and conditions at the camp became unbearable.
it’s baking/baking hot
▪ It’s baking in here -- I need a drink.
▷ sweltering /ˈswelt ə rɪŋ/ [adjective] especially written
weather that is sweltering is very hot and makes you feel wet and uncomfortable :
▪ Everyone headed for the beach on that sweltering summer afternoon.
sweltering heat
▪ The soldiers marched on in the sweltering heat.
▷ stifling/stifling hot /ˈstaɪflɪŋ, ˌstaɪflɪŋ ˈhɒt◂ ǁ-ˈhɑːt◂/ [adjective]
a room or enclosed space that is stifling or stifling hot is very hot and is difficult to breathe in :
▪ The room was stifling hot, and full of flies.
▪ The subway stations are stifling, and reek of urine.
stifling heat
▪ Helen sat uncomfortably in the stifling heat of the railway carriage.
▷ muggy/humid /ˈmʌgi, ˈhjuːmɪd/ [adjective]
weather that is muggy or humid makes you feel uncomfortable because the air feels wet, warm, and heavy :
▪ In June the weather was often muggy in the evenings and it was difficult to get to sleep.
▪ The climate stays hot and humid all summer long.
it’s muggy/humid
▪ It’s been really muggy the last few days, so we haven’t done much.
▷ oppressive /əˈpresɪv/ [adjective]
weather or heat that is oppressive is very hot and unpleasant, especially because it feels as if there is not enough air to breathe :
▪ As the sun climbed higher in the sky, the heat grew gradually more oppressive.
oppressive heat
▪ Despite the oppressive heat, more than 1,000 people came to the celebration.
▷ like an oven /ˌlaɪk ən ˈʌv ə n/ [adjective phrase]
a room or enclosed space that is like an oven is extremely hot and uncomfortable :
▪ The heat of the day made the gymnasium feel like an oven.
it’s like an oven
▪ It’s like an oven in here. Let’s open some windows.
▷ heatwave /ˈhiːtweɪv/ [countable noun]
a period of unusually hot weather :
▪ There was a heatwave during the first part of July.
▪ A long summer heatwave had turned the river into a weak trickle of water.
4. warm, but not hot
▷ warm /wɔːʳm/ [adjective]
a little hot, but not very hot, especially in a way that is pleasant :
▪ I didn’t want to get out of my nice warm bed.
▪ It’s nice and warm in the kitchen.
▪ a warm day
▪ These plants only grow in warm climates.
warmth [uncountable noun]
when an object, the weather, a place etc is warm :
▪ The warmth of the sun was making them all sleepy.
▷ lukewarm /ˌluːkˈwɔːʳm◂/ [adjective]
food or drinks that are lukewarm are slightly warm and not as warm or cold as they should be :
▪ The bartender handed me a mug of lukewarm beer.
▪ The coffee was only lukewarm.
▷ tepid /ˈtepɪd, ˈtepəd/ [adjective]
liquid that is tepid is only slightly warm, especially in a way that seems unpleasant :
▪ The soup was disgusting, greasy, tepid and watery.
▪ He soaked a handkerchief in some tepid water and wiped her forehead.
5. when you feel hot
▷ hot /hɒtǁhɑːt/ [adjective not before noun]
feeling hot, especially when this makes you feel uncomfortable :
▪ I’m too hot - could you open the window?
▪ The travellers were hot, tired, and thirsty.
▷ warm /wɔːʳm/ [adjective not before noun]
feeling warm when it is cold outside, especially in a way that is pleasant and comfortable :
▪ Are you nice and warm?
keep warm
make yourself stay warm
▪ We had to keep moving in order to keep warm.
warm as toast
very warm and comfortable
▪ It was freezing outside but in the ski lodge they were as warm as toast.
▷ boiling/roasting /ˈbɔɪlɪŋ, ˈrəʊstɪŋ/ [adjective not before noun] spoken
to feel very hot and uncomfortable :
▪ ‘I’m going for a swim,’ said Gary, ‘I’m boiling.’
▪ You must be roasting in that coat.
▷ sweltering /ˈswelt ə rɪŋ/ [adjective]
if you are sweltering, you feel very hot, wet, and uncomfortable, because the weather or the room you are in is too hot :
▪ Hundreds of children sweltering in the heat went to the neighborhood pool.
▷ have/run a temperature /ˌhæv, ˌrʌn ə ˈtemp ə rətʃəʳ/ [verb phrase not in progressive]
if you have a temperature or run a temperature, your body is hotter than usual because you are ill :
▪ Liz was running a temperature of 39.8° C.
▪ Victims of heat stroke have a body temperature of 104 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
high temperature /ˌhaɪ ˈtemp ə rətʃəʳ/ [noun phrase]
when your body is very hot because you are ill :
▪ Symptoms of the disease include a headache and a high temperature.
▷ feverish /ˈfiːv ə rɪʃ/ [adjective not usually before noun]
feeling very hot and often red in the face because you have a fever :
▪ Hannah looked weak and feverish and we decided to call the doctor.
▪ He said he felt feverish and complained of pains in his chest.
6. clothes that make you warm
▷ warm /wɔːʳm/ [adjective]
▪ These gloves are lovely and warm.
▪ My mother’s knitted me a nice warm sweater.
▪ Make sure you bring plenty of warm clothing.
▷ thermal /ˈθɜːʳm ə l/ [adjective usually before noun]
thermal clothing is made from special material to keep you warm in cold weather :
▪ Wear thermal underwear, hat, and gloves while skiing.
▪ Runners were given thermal blankets to prevent heat loss at the end of the race.
7. to get hot or hotter
▷ get hot/warm/hotter/warmer /ˌget ˈhɒt, ˈwɔːʳm, ˈhɒtəʳ, ˈwɔːʳməʳǁ-ˈhɑːt-/ [verb phrase]
▪ If the lawnmower gets hot, turn it off.
▪ As the summer got hotter, the streams began to run more slowly.
▪ The rocks get warmer in the sun and the lizards come out to lie on them.
it gets hot/warm
the weather gets hot
▪ It got hotter and hotter throughout the day.
▷ heat up /ˌhiːt ˈʌp/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
to get hotter, especially gradually as a result of being heated by something else :
▪ The stones heated up in the sun.
▪ As the gas heats up, it expands.
▪ While the oven is heating up, prepare the sauce.
▷ warm up /ˌwɔːʳm ˈʌp/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
if something such as a place warms up, it gradually becomes warmer after being cold, especially so that it reaches a more comfortable temperature :
▪ The room began to warm up.
▪ It usually takes a long time for the sea to warm up.
▪ It’s pretty cold outside now, but it should warm up later.
▷ overheat /ˌəʊvəʳˈhiːt/ [intransitive verb]
if an engine or a machine overheats, it becomes too hot and cannot work properly :
▪ The engine started overheating and steam poured out of the front of the car.
▪ The cooling system broke down, the nuclear reactor overheated, and the plant had to be evacuated.
8. to make something hot or hotter
▷ heat /hiːt/ [transitive verb]
to make something hot by using a machine or fire :
▪ She heated the water in a small pan.
▪ Wax melts quickly when it is heated.
▪ It costs a lot to heat these offices.
▷ heat/warm up also warm something over American informal /ˌhiːt, ˌwɔːʳm ˈʌp, ˌwɔːʳm something ˈəʊvəʳ/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to heat food so that it can be eaten, especially food that was cooked earlier and has become cold :
heat/warm up something
▪ I heated up yesterday’s chicken pie and had it for lunch today.
heat/warm something up
▪ Do you want some soup? It’ll only take a few minutes to heat it up.
▪ Waffles are good warmed over in a toaster.
▷ heat something through /ˌhiːt something ˈθruː/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to heat food thoroughly so that it is completely cooked :
▪ Add the chopped onion to the mixture and heat it through.
▪ Make sure you heat that stew through before you eat it.
▷ warm/warm up /wɔːʳm, ˌwɔːʳm ˈʌp/ [transitive verb]
if something such as the sun or a fire warms a place or warms it up, it makes it warm :
▪ I put the heater on to warm the bedroom.
▪ The sun’ll warm up the water in the lake.
▷ take the chill off /ˌteɪk ðə ˈtʃɪl ɒf/ [verb phrase] informal
to heat something slightly so that it does not feel very cold any more :
▪ Put the heater on for long enough to take the chill off the room.
▪ Don’t boil the milk, just heat it enough to take the chill off.
9. to make someone warmer
▷ warm up /ˌwɔːʳm ˈʌp/ [intransitive/transitive phrasal verb]
▪ Hardin stood by the fire to warm up.
warm somebody up
▪ Drink some of this coffee -- it’ll warm you up.
▪ I tried to warm her up by covering her in a blanket.
▷ warm yourself /ˈwɔːʳm jɔːʳself/ [verb phrase]
to make yourself feel warmer, for example by standing near a fire or heater :
▪ Jim came into the living room to warm himself by the fire.
warm your hands/feet etc
▪ I put my feet near the radiator to warm them.
10. how hot something is
▷ how hot /haʊ ˈhɒtǁ-ˈhɑːt/:
▪ No matter how hot it is outside, it’s always cool in here.
▪ How hot are those coals? Can I start cooking over them now?
▪ I couldn’t believe how hot it was by eight o'clock in the morning.
▷ temperature /ˈtemp ə rətʃəʳ/ [countable noun]
a measure of how hot or how cold something is :
▪ Temperatures in the south of the country reached 30 degrees centigrade.
▪ The temperature of the water was just right for swimming.
room temperature
the normal temperature in a room
▪ The wine can be served at room temperature.
high temperature
one which is very hot
▪ Steel is produced at very high temperatures.
low temperature
one that is cold
▪ Professional film is stored at a low temperature to prevent it from deteriorating.
temperature of
▪ The gas freezes at a temperature of 180C.
at a constant temperature
one that stays the same
▪ The greenhouse is kept at a constant temperature of 40C.
take somebody’s temperature
measure their temperature
▪ You feel very hot - let me take your temperature.
the temperature rises/goes up
▪ The temperature of the world’s oceans has risen by more than 2 degrees in the past hundred years.
the temperature falls/goes down
▪ The temperature is expected to go down below freezing during the night.
▷ heat /hiːt/ [countable noun usually singular]
how hot something is - use this especially when you can control how hot something is, for example on an electric heater :
▪ When the oven reaches the correct heat, the light goes off.
▪ At this heat, all the poisonous chemicals are changed into safe compounds.
turn up/turn down the heat
change it so that it becomes hotter or less hot
▪ She turned down the heat on the electric fire.
turn the heat down/up
▪ Turn the heat up, I’m cold.