From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishhothot1 /hɒt $ hɑːt/ ●●● S1 W2 adjective (comparative hotter, superlative hottest) 1 high temperatureHOT 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 Auguststifling/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) HOTif 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► see thesaurus at taste3 very popular/fashionable informalSUCCESSFUL 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 Gareth Bale is 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 informalATTRACT to be sexually attracted to someone 6 difficult/dangerous [not before noun] informalPROBLEM 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 etc8 → in the hot seat9 → in hot water10 angryANGRY 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 temperANGRY someone who has a hot temper becomes angry very easily → hot-tempered11 → hot and bothered12 → have/hold something in your hot little hand13 recent/exciting newsINTERESTING 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 press15 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 somebody’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 somebody’s heelsFOLLOW following very close behind someone Mrs Bass’s dog was already hot on his heels.16 → come/follow hot on the heels of something17 → hot on the trail of something18 → blow/go hot and cold19 → go hot and cold20 → I don’t feel too hot/so hot/very hot21 → be hot on something22 → be hot for something23 → be hot to trot24 → hot competition25 → hot favourite26 → hot tip27 stolen goods informalSTEAL goods that are hot have been stolen 28 music informalAPM music that is hot has a strong exciting rhythm29 → more something than you’ve had hot dinners30 → hot money → hotly, hotsTHESAURUSpersonhot used especially when you feel uncomfortableI feel really hot.The travellers were hot, tired, and thirsty.warm a little hot, especially in a way that feels comfortableAre you warm enough?We had to keep moving in order to keep warm.boiling (hot) spoken very hotYou must be boiling in that sweater!‘I’m going for a swim, ' said Gary. ’I’m boiling.'I felt boiling hot and tried to open one of the windows.feverish feeling very hot because you are illHis head ached and he felt feverish.Hannah was slightly feverish, so we decided to call the doctor.weatherhot used especially when you feel uncomfortablea hot dayIt’s too hot to do any work.warm a little hot, especially in a way that seems pleasanta warm summer’s eveningIt’s supposed to be a bit warmer tomorrow.boiling (hot) spoken very hotThe weather was boiling hot.a boiling hot dayIt was absolutely boiling this lunchtime.baking (hot) British English very hot and drya baking hot afternoonThe weather was baking hot and conditions at the camp became unbearable.It’s baking out there in the garden – I need a drink.scorching (hot) very hotIt was another scorching hot July day. When we got there, the weather was scorching.Arizona is scorching hot every day. humid/muggy hot and dampThis week sees a return to more humid conditions.Hong Kong gets very humid at this time of year.In June the weather was often muggy in the evenings.It was a warm muggy afternoon, and it looked like it would rain.roomhot used especially when you feel uncomfortableThe office was uncomfortably hot.The meeting was in a tiny hot room with no air conditioning.warm a little hot, especially in a way that seems pleasantIt’s nice and warm by the fire.They were all sitting in the warm kitchen, sipping mugs of cocoa.boiling (hot) spoken very hotIt’s boiling in here. Can I open the window?a boiling hot New York recording studiolike an oven much too hot in a way that is uncomfortable – used about rooms and buildingsThe inside of the shed was like an oven.food/liquid/something you touchhota hot drinkhot mealsEat your food while it’s hot.warm a little hot, especially in a way that seems pleasantThe bread was still warm from the oven.the warm waters of the Caribbeanboiling (hot) spoken very hotThe water’s boiling hot.Boiling-hot steam shoots out from underground.The mud in the pools is boiling.lukewarm /ˌluːkˈwɔːm◂ $ -ˈwɔːrm◂/ slightly warm, but not hot enough – used about liquidsa cup of lukewarm coffeeThe bath water was lukewarm.
Examples from the Corpus
hot• Recently we have had trouble with the engine misfiring and stalling, even when hot.• Be careful! That pan's still very hot.• Don't touch the barbecue - it's burning hot.• Does your relationship run hot and cold?• It was hot and humid in the Caribbean.• Bea was hot and tired from the long walk home.• At the end of the day all I want to do is to relax in a nice hot bath.• Grill over hot coals until rare to medium-rare, 2 to 3 minutes per side.• Cook the steaks over red hot coals.• a pot of hot coffee• I'm too hot - could you open the window?• Pour the hot fudge over the marshmallows.• It's hot in here. Isn't the air conditioner working?• It was much too hot in his office to do any work.• Levi's 501 jeans continue to be a hot item.• Dozens of volunteers serve hot meals to 200 homeless people every night.• Jimbo had a hot night in Las Vegas and won $430.• hot salsa• a hot summer's day• It was the hottest summer this century.• It's going to be a hot, sunny day.• It's too hot to go for a bike ride.• Isn't it hot today?• She'd come and give me a hot water bottle.• Obviously, it's.., the hot water tank.• For $ 45,1 luxuriate at midnight in a tub brimming with hot water.• Turned on a tap: hot water!• I make a lot of salads during hot weather.It’s ... hot• In the meantime eat that while it's hot.• The food is good, it's local and it's always hot.• Your hair sets when it cools down - not when it's hot.• Body de-construction - it's a hot art opportunity these days - is a natural for unusual materials.• It's very hot in there.• In Gloucestershire for instance, it's the hottest of hot potatoes.• It's hot out there, several million degrees Fahrenheit.• The high blue summer weather goes on and on and by mid-afternoon it's hot up here under the leads.hot ticket• One of the hottest tickets in Paris is a revival of "West Side Story."• The Final Four has become the hottest ticket in sports, even harder to get than Super Bowl tickets.• Computer science grads are the hottest tickets this year.hot stuff• Flings like the recent Los Angeles Salsa Festival are proof that hoofers have the hot stuff.• These are pretty hot stuff so it is £80 I am afraid.• It's hot stuff you're dealing with.too hot to handle• Studio bosses decided her video was too hot to handle.• Meanwhile investigations continue into the brush, which is, quite literally, too hot to handle.• The ark turns out to be decidedly too hot to handle.• The carrier, glowing through the night with its immense burden of radioactivity, is too hot to handle.• Not too hot to handle, for an old-fashioned family publisher like Jackson's?hot gossip• Certainly not a considerable number of ladies, according to hot gossip and well informed rumour.hothot2 verb (hotted, hotting) → hot up→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
hot• By 1986 things were hotting up a bit.• The pace of reforms to working practices is also hotting up.Origin hot Old English hat 