having or giving off heat; having a high temperature:a hot fire; hot coffee.
Physiologyhaving or causing a sensation of great bodily heat; attended with or producing such a sensation:He was hot with fever.
creating a burning sensation, as on the skin or in the throat:This ointment is hot, so apply it sparingly.
sharply peppery or pungent:Is this mustard hot?
having or showing intense or violent feeling; ardent; fervent; vehement; excited:a hot temper.
Informal Termshaving a strong enthusiasm; eager:a hot baseball fan.
Slang Terms
Slang Termssexually aroused; lustful.
Slang Termssexy; attractive.
violent, furious, or intense:the hottest battle of the war.
strong or fresh, as a scent or trail.
absolutely new; fresh:a dozen new mystery stories hot from the press.
requiring immediate delivery or correspondence; demanding priority:The hot freight must be delivered by 10:00a.m.tomorrow, or we'll lose the contract.
Slang Termsskillful in a reckless or daring way:a hot pilot.
following very closely; close:to be hot on the trail of a thief.
(of colors) extremely intense:hot pink.
Informal Termspopular and commercially successful; in demand; marketable:The Beatles were a hot group in the 1960s.
Slang Termsextremely lucky, good, or favorable:A poker player has to have a hot hand to win the pot.
Sport, Slang Terms[Slang.](in sports and games) playing well or winningly; scoring effectively:a hot pitcher.
Slang Termsfunny; absurd:That's a hot one!
Gamesclose to the object or answer that is being sought.
Informal Termsextremely exciting or interesting; sensational or scandalous:a hot news story.
Music and Dance[Jazz.]
(of music) emotionally intense, propulsive, and marked by aggressive attack and warm, full tone.
(of a musician) skilled in playing hot jazz.
Informal Terms(of a vehicle) capable of attaining extremely high speeds:a hot new jet plane.
Slang Terms
stolen recently or otherwise illegal and dangerous to possess:a hot diamond necklace.
wanted by the police.
dangerous.
Informal Termsin the mood to perform exceedingly well, or rapidly, as during a burst of creative work:Finish writing that story while you're still hot.
Electricityactively conducting an electric current or containing a high voltage:a hot wire.
Physicsof, pertaining to, or noting radioactivity.
Metallurgynoting any process involving plastic deformation of a metal at a temperature high enough to permit recrystallization due to the strain:hot working.
Sport, Slang Termsget hot, [Slang.](in sports and games) to become very effective or successful; score or win repeatedly or easily.
Informal Termshot and bothered, excited, aroused, or flustered:This mistake isn't worth getting hot and bothered about.Also, all hot and bothered.
Idiomshot under the collar. See collar (def. 16).
Informal Terms, Idiomsmake it hot for, to make something unpleasant for; cause trouble for:Ever since their argument the principal has been making it hot for the new teacher.
adv.
in a hot manner; hotly.
while hot:Garnish the potatoes with parsley and serve hot.
Metallurgyat a temperature high enough to permit recrystallization:The wire was drawn hot.
Informal Termshot and heavy, in an intense, vehement, or passionate manner:They argued hot and heavy for 20 minutes.
v.t., v.i.
British Terms[Chiefly Brit. Informal.]to heat; warm (usually fol. by up).
n.
Slang Termsthe hots, intense sexual desire or attraction.
bef. 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