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Idioms

    get hot, Slang. (in sports and games) to become very effective or successful; score or win repeatedly or easily.
    hot and bothered, Informal. excited, aroused, or flustered: This mistake isn't worth getting hot and bothered about.Also all hot and bothered.
    hot and heavy, Informal. in an intense, vehement, or passionate manner: They argued hot and heavy for 20 minutes.
    hot under the collar. collar(def 23).
    make it hot for, Informal. to make something unpleasant for; cause trouble for: Ever since their argument the principal has been making it hot for the new teacher.

Origin of hot

before 1000; 1920–25 for def 23; Middle English ho(o)t, Old English hāt; cognate with Dutch heet, Old Norse heitr, Swedish het, Danish hed, German heiss
Related formshot·ly, adverbhot·ness, nouno·ver·hot, adjectiveo·ver·hot·ly, adverbul·tra·hot, adjectiveun·hot, adjective

Synonyms for hot

1. heated; fiery, burning, scorching; scalding, boiling; torrid, sultry. 4. biting, piquant, sharp, spicy. 5. fervid; fiery, passionate, intense, excitable, impetuous; angry, furious, irate, violent.

Antonyms for hot

1. cold.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for hotting

Historical Examples of hotting

  • "It is only for Hotting folk," said a lad older than himself.

    Findelkind

    Louise de la Ramee (AKA Ouida)

British Dictionary definitions for hotting

hotting

noun

informal the practice of stealing fast cars and putting on a show of skilful but dangerous driving
Derived Formshotter, noun

hot

adjective hotter or hottest

having a relatively high temperature
having a temperature higher than desirable
causing or having a sensation of bodily heat
causing a burning sensation on the tonguehot mustard; a hot curry
expressing or feeling intense emotion, such as embarrassment, anger, or lust
intense or vehementa hot argument
recent; fresh; newa hot trial; hot from the press
ball games (of a ball) thrown or struck hard, and so difficult to respond to
much favoured or approveda hot tip; a hot favourite
informal having a dangerously high level of radioactivitya hot laboratory
slang (of goods or money) stolen, smuggled, or otherwise illegally obtained
slang (of people) being sought by the police
informal sexually attractive
(of a colour) intense; strikinghot pink
close or following closelyhot on the scent
informal at a dangerously high electric potentiala hot terminal
physics having an energy level higher than that of the ground statea hot atom
slang impressive or good of its kind (esp in the phrase not so hot)
jazz slang arousing great excitement or enthusiasm by inspired improvisation, strong rhythms, etc
informal dangerous or unpleasant (esp in the phrase make it hot for someone)
(in various searching or guessing games) very near the answer or object to be found
metallurgy (of a process) at a sufficiently high temperature for metal to be in a soft workable state
Australian and NZ informal (of a price, charge, etc) excessive
give it hot or give it to someone hot to punish or thrash someone
hot on informal
  1. very severethe police are hot on drunk drivers
  2. particularly skilled at or knowledgeable abouthe's hot on vintage cars
hot under the collar informal aroused with anger, annoyance, etc
in hot water informal in trouble, esp with those in authority

adverb

in a hot manner; hotly
See also hots, hot up
Derived Formshotly, adverbhotness, noun

Word Origin for hot

Old English hāt; related to Old High German heiz, Old Norse heitr, Gothic heito fever
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for hotting

hot

adj.

Old English hat "hot, flaming, opposite of cold," also "fervent, fierce, intense, excited," from Proto-Germanic *haita- (cf. Old Saxon and Old Frisian het, Old Norse heitr, Middle Dutch and Dutch heet, German heiß "hot," Gothic heito "heat of a fever"), from PIE root *kai- "heat" (cf. Lithuanian kaistu "to grow hot").

The association of hot with sexuality dates back to c.1500. Taste sense of "pungent, acrid, biting" is from 1540s. Sense of "exciting, remarkable, very good" is 1895; that of "stolen" is first recorded 1925 (originally with overtones of "easily identified and difficult to dispose of"); that of "radioactive" is from 1942.

Hot flashes in the menopausal sense attested from 1887. Hot air "unsubstantiated statements, boastful talk" is from 1900. Hot stuff for anything good or excellent is by 1889. Hot potato in figurative sense is from 1846. The hot and cold in hide-and-seek or guessing games are from hunting (1640s), with notion of tracking a scent.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Idioms and Phrases with hotting

hot

In addition to the idioms beginning with hot

  • hot air
  • hot and bothered
  • hot and heavy
  • hot as blazes
  • hot dog
  • hot line
  • hot number
  • hot off the press
  • hot on
  • hot potato
  • hot rod
  • hot seat, in the
  • hot stuff
  • hot to trot
  • hot under the collar
  • hot water

also see:

  • blow hot and cold
  • like a cat on hot bricks
  • like hot cakes
  • make it hot for
  • piping hot
  • strike while the iron's hot
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.