Definition and pronunciation
hot /hɑːt/ — adjective, adverb, noun (informal/slang in some uses).
Easy explanation
Hot usually means high temperature, like hot tea or hot weather. But it also means attractive, sexy, or exciting in slang. Sometimes it describes something popular, dangerous, or stolen.
Grammatical formation
- Adjective: hot, hotter, hottest.
- Adverb (informal): run hot, play hot.
- Noun (slang): “the hots” (sexual desire).
Meanings and nuances
- Temperature — high heat (“The soup is hot”).
- Spiciness — strong in flavor or burning (“hot curry”).
- Sexual attractiveness — slang for being physically or sexually appealing (“She looks hot”).
- Excitement/trendiness — something very popular or desirable (“That’s a hot topic”).
- Illicit/dangerous — stolen goods or risky situations (“hot merchandise”).
- Emotional intensity — angry, passionate, or aroused (“hot temper,” “hot kiss”).
With prepositions and variants
- hot for someone: “He’s hot for her.”
- hot about something: “She’s hot about politics.”
- hot on the trail: “The police are hot on his trail.”
Common collocations
hot weather, hot coffee, hot meal, hot topic, hot news, hot deal, hot kiss, hot date, hot body, hot stuff, hot property, hot pursuit
Idioms and neighboring expressions
- hot and bothered — flustered or sexually aroused
- hot under the collar — angry or embarrassed
- strike while the iron is hot — act at the right moment
- in hot water — in trouble
- hot stuff — impressive or sexually attractive
Word comparisons
- hot vs warm: hot = higher temperature; warm = milder.
- hot vs sexy: sexy = specifically sexual; hot = can mean attractive, exciting, or trendy.
- hot vs spicy: hot = high temperature or spiciness; spicy = flavor, not temperature.
Real-life examples
- “The tea is too hot to drink.”
- “She looked hot in that dress.”
- “It was a hot topic on social media.”
- “The suspect was caught with hot goods.”
- “They shared a hot kiss under the stars.”
Sample sentences
- “The coffee is hot, be careful.”
- “She’s one of the hottest models in fashion.”
- “That’s the hottest trend right now.”
- “He got in hot water with his boss.”
- “The desert was unbearably hot.”
- “She gave him a hot look.”
- “The police are hot on the criminal’s trail.”
- “He’s hot for his coworker.”
- “They shared a hot romance.”
- “The curry was too hot for me.”
Synonyms
heated, warm, spicy, sexy, attractive, trendy, exciting, passionate, stolen, dangerous
Antonyms
cold, cool, mild, plain, unattractive, boring, safe, lawful
Related terms
heat, heated, spicy, sexy, aroused, trendy, passionate, illicit
Connection to sexuality
Yes. Hot is strongly connected to sexuality in slang. When someone is called “hot,” it usually means sexually attractive. “Hot kiss,” “hot romance,” or “getting hot” describe passion or arousal. This sexual use of hot is very common in modern English.
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