What does hot mean?
“Hot” most commonly means having a high temperature, especially enough to feel uncomfortable, but its meaning shifts with context. It can describe food made fiery with capsicum or other spices, a person who is angry, a person or thing that is popular and desirable, an issue attracting intense attention, or something current and continually relevant. For example, a drink may be hot in the literal sense, while a singer is “hot” because they are currently successful, and a debate may be “hot” because it is contentious. The word appears in everyday speech as well as formal descriptions, although figurative uses often carry an informal or dynamic connotation. Its broad range makes it useful for discussing temperature, flavour, emotion, popularity, and cultural momentum. The word descends from Old English hāt and is related to cognates in other Germanic languages.
adjectiveHaving a high degree of heat; noticeably warm or above ordinary temperature. The word also describes food containing capsicum or other strong spices, and informally means angry, popular, exciting, or currently important.
- Having a high temperature or being uncomfortably warm
- Containing capsicum or another pungent spice
- Feeling or appearing angry
- Popular, fashionable, or in demand
- Exciting, intense, or emotionally charged
"The pavement was hot enough to make her change her shoes."
"We left early because the room had become uncomfortably hot."
"The documentary became a hot topic after the unexpected announcement."
"She ordered the soup, but warned us that it was very spicy."
The word hot comes from Old English hāt and is a close relative of German heiß and Dutch heet.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of hot
The adjective comes from Old English hāt, meaning “hot” or “heated.” It developed from a Germanic root whose modern relatives include Dutch heet and German heiß. English also formed related words such as heat, heater, and hothouse, while the adverb hotly continues the same lexical family.
Related word forms
How hot is actually used
The adjective is neutral in its temperature sense but informal and sometimes emphatic in expressions such as “hot news” and “a hot prospect.” In British and American English, it may also describe food as strongly flavoured with spices. The pronunciation has the usual open-o vowel in American English and a rounded vowel in British English.
Easily confused with hot
Warm describes a moderately elevated temperature, while hot usually indicates a greater degree of heat.
Hot can describe high temperature, whereas spicy specifically refers to food containing a strong pungent or fiery flavour.