hot

1 adjective hotter, hottest HIGH TEMPERATURE

1 WEATHER/FOOD/LIQUID ETC having a high temperature: It's too hot in here - shall I open a window? | a nice hot bath | How hot is the water? | the hottest summer I can remember | hot countries | red hot (=used to describe an object or surface that is very hot) | white hot (=used to describe metal that is extremely hot) | boiling/broiling/scorching/baking/roasting hot (=used to describe weather that is extremely hot): a scorching hot day in August | boiling/scalding hot (=used to describe liquid that is extremely hot) | piping hot (=used to describe food or water that is nice and hot): Pour the sauce over the pasta and serve piping hot. | burning hot (=used to describe the sun or a surface when it is extremely hot): the burning hot sands of the desert | stifling/sweltering hot informal (=used to describe weather or places that are uncomfortably hot) | be hot as hell informal (=used to describe a place that is extremely hot)

2 FEELING HOT (not before a noun) feeling hot in a way that is uncomfortable: I was hot and tired at the end of the day.

—see cold 1 HOT TASTE

3 food that tastes hot contains pepper etc and has a burning taste

DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH

4 hot issue/topic etc a subject that people disagree strongly about: Abortion is a hot issue on both sides of the Atlantic.

5 be too hot to handle if a problem or situation is too hot to handle it is impossible to deal with because it is causing too much trouble and anger: The Watergate investigation eventually became too hot to handle.

6 be a hot potato informal if a subject or problem is a hot potato, it is difficult to deal with

7 DIFFICULT/UNPLEASANT SITUATION (not before noun) informal if a situation or place becomes too hot for someone, it is because other people are angry with them: When things got too hot for him he sold up and left town. | make it hot for (=cause a lot of trouble for someone)

8 get into hot water to get into a difficult situation by doing something wrong

ANGRY

9 hot temper someone who has a hot temper becomes angry very easily

—see also: hot­tempered

10 get hot under the collar spoken to become angry and ready to quarrel

POPULAR

11 informal popular at a particular point in time: Bros was a really hot group a few years ago. | hot property (=an actor, singer etc that many theatre or film companies want): Michael Jackson soon became the hottest property in show business.

12 be a hot ticket AmE to be a very popular and fashionable person whom everyone wants to see: Jodie Foster seems to be this year's hot ticket.

FOLLOWING CLOSELY

13 in hot pursuit following someone quickly, and closely because you want to catch them: The car sped away with the police in hot pursuit.

14 be hot on sb's trail/track to be close to and likely to catch someone you have been chasing

15 be hot on sb's heels to be very close behind someone: Jake came sprinting towards me with Mrs Bass's dog hot on his heels.

16 come hot on the heels of to happen very soon after another event

OTHER SENSES

17 GOOD AT STH informal very good at doing something: a hot new guitar player

18 be hot stuff spoken

a) to be very good at a particular activity: You should see him on the tennis court - he's really hot stuff.

b) to be sexually attractive

19 not so hot spoken not very good: “How are you feeling?” “Not so hot; I'm really tired.”

20 be in the hot seat to have the job of making difficult and sometimes unpleasant decisions

21 be hot on sth informal

a) to know a lot about something: I'm not very hot on European history.

b) to be very strict about something: They're really hot on punctuality here.

22 be hot on sb to be sexually attracted to someone

23 be hot at sth informal to be very good at doing something: I'm not too hot at basketball.

24 COMPETITION competition that is hot is between people or companies that are trying very hard to win or succeed: Competition for the best jobs is getting hotter all the time.

25 news hot news is about very recent events and therefore interesting or exciting: a hot news item

26 be hot off the press if a newspaper, report etc is hot off the press, it has only just been printed

27 hot favourite BrE hot favorite AmE a competitor that most people expect to win a race or competition

28 hot tip a very good piece of advice about which horse is likely to win a race

29 hot air if someone talks hot air, they make statements which sound impressive, but are really meaningless: It's all just hot air - he hasn't the money to pay for it.

30 hot spot

a) a place where there is likely to be trouble, fighting etc

b) an area that is popular for a particular activity or type of entertainment

31 go hot and cold

a) to suddenly feel very worried or frightened by something: When I saw a police car outside, I went hot and cold all over.

b) to experience sudden changes in the temperature of your body because you are ill

—see also: blow hot and cold blow 1 (15)

32 be hot and bothered informal to be so worried and confused by things going wrong that you cannot think clearly

33 STOLEN slang goods that are hot have been stolen: He was caught trying to sell hot video recorders.

34 hot money money that is frequently moved from one country to another in order to make a quick profit

35 MUSIC having a strong exciting rhythm

36 SEXUALLY EXCITING a film, book, etc that is hot is sexually exciting

—see also: red­hot, hotly, hots 2 verb hotted, hotting hot up phrasal verb (I) informal especially BrE to become more exciting or dangerous with a lot more activity; intensify: The election campaign is hotting up.