/ hɒt; NAmE hɑːt/ adjective , verb
■ adjective
( hot·ter , hot·test )
TEMPERATURE
1.
having a high temperature; producing heat :
Do you like this hot weather?
It's hot today, isn't it?
It was hot and getting hotter.
It was the hottest July on record.
a hot dry summer
Be careful—the plates are hot.
All rooms have hot and cold water.
a hot bath
a hot meal (= one that has been cooked)
I couldn't live in a hot country (= one which has high average temperatures) .
Cook in a very hot oven.
Eat it while it's hot.
I touched his forehead. He felt hot and feverish.
—see also baking hot , boiling hot , piping hot , red-hot , white-hot
2.
( of a person ) feeling heat in an unpleasant or uncomfortable way :
Is anyone too hot?
I feel hot.
Her cheeks were hot with embarrassment.
3.
making you feel hot :
London was hot and dusty.
a long hot journey
FOOD WITH SPICES
4.
containing pepper and spices and producing a burning feeling in your mouth :
hot spicy food
You can make a curry hotter simply by adding chillies.
hot mustard
OPP mild
CAUSING STRONG FEELINGS
5.
involving a lot of activity, argument or strong feelings :
Today we enter the hottest phase of the election campaign.
The environment has become a very hot issue.
Competition is getting hotter day by day.
DIFFICULT / DANGEROUS
6.
difficult or dangerous to deal with and making you feel worried or uncomfortable :
When things got too hot most journalists left the area.
They're making life hot for her.
POPULAR
7.
( informal ) new, exciting and very popular :
This is one of the hottest clubs in town.
They are one of this year's hot new bands.
The couple are Hollywood's hottest property .
NEWS
8.
fresh, very recent and usually exciting :
I've got some hot gossip for you!
a story that is hot off the press (= has just appeared in the newspapers)
TIP / FAVOURITE
9.
[ only before noun ] likely to be successful :
She seems to be the hot favourite for the job.
Do you have any hot tips for today's race?
GOOD AT STH / KNOWING A LOT
10.
[ not before noun ] hot at / on sth ( informal ) very good at doing sth; knowing a lot about sth :
Don't ask me—I'm not too hot on British history.
ANGER
11.
if sb has a hot temper they become angry very easily
SEXUAL EXCITEMENT
12.
feeling or causing sexual excitement :
You were as hot for me as I was for you.
I've got a hot date tonight.
SHOCKING / CRITICAL
13.
containing scenes, statements, etc. that are too shocking or too critical and are likely to cause anger or disapproval :
Some of the nude scenes were regarded as too hot for Broadway.
The report was highly critical of senior members of the Cabinet and was considered too hot to publish.
—see also hot stuff
STRICT
14.
[ not before noun ] hot on sth thinking that sth is very important and making sure that it always happens or is done :
They're very hot on punctuality at work.
MUSIC
15.
( of music, especially jazz ) having a strong and exciting rhythm
GOODS
16.
stolen and difficult to get rid of because they can easily be recognized :
I'd never have touched those CDs if I'd known they were hot.
IN CHILDREN'S GAMES
17.
[ not before noun ] used in children's games to say that the person playing is very close to finding a person or thing, or to guessing the correct answer :
You're getting hot!
•
IDIOMS
- be hot to trot
- be in / get into hot water
- go hot and cold
- go / sell like hot cakes
- (all) hot and bothered
- hot on sb's / sth's heels
- hot on sb's / sth's tracks / trail
- hot under the collar
- in hot pursuit (of sb)
- not so / too hot
—more at blow verb , cat , heel noun , strike verb
■ verb
( -tt- )
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- hot up
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English hāt , of Germanic origin; related to Dutch heet and German heiss .