hothead: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Informal, slightly pejorative
Quick answer
What does “hothead” mean?
A person who acts impulsively, with anger or aggression, without thinking carefully.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A person who acts impulsively, with anger or aggression, without thinking carefully.
A reckless, impetuous, or fiery-tempered person who is easily provoked into rash actions or outbursts. The term implies a lack of emotional control and foresight.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage and meaning are identical. No significant dialectal variation.
Connotations
Identical in both variants: negative, suggesting immaturity, danger, or unreliability.
Frequency
Slightly more common in American English, but well-established and understood in British English.
Grammar
How to Use “hothead” in a Sentence
be a hotheadact like a hotheadcall someone a hotheadrely on a hotheadVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “hothead” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- (No standard verb form)
American English
- (No standard verb form)
adverb
British English
- (No standard adverb form. Use 'hotheadedly' is extremely rare and non-standard.)
American English
- (No standard adverb form. Use 'impulsively' or 'rashly'.)
adjective
British English
- He's far too hotheaded to be a good manager.
- Her hotheaded reaction made the situation worse.
American English
- That was a hotheaded decision you'll regret.
- We need calm logic, not hotheaded rhetoric.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used to warn against promoting or partnering with someone whose rash decisions could jeopardise projects or client relationships. (e.g., 'We can't put that hothead in charge of negotiations.')
Academic
Rare in formal academic writing. May appear in historical or psychological texts describing character types.
Everyday
Common in descriptions of people, especially in contexts of arguments, driving, sports, or politics. (e.g., 'My brother is such a hothead when he plays football.')
Technical
Not a technical term.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “hothead”
Strong
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “hothead”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “hothead”
- Using it as an adjective directly before a noun without '-ed' (Incorrect: 'a hothead driver'. Correct: 'a hotheaded driver' or 'he is a hothead'). Confusing it with 'hotheaded', which is the adjectival form.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is almost always a criticism, implying someone is dangerously impulsive, quick to anger, and lacks self-control.
'Hothead' is a noun (a person). 'Hot-headed' (or 'hotheaded') is the adjective form used to describe such a person or their actions (e.g., a hotheaded comment).
It is generally considered informal and slightly pejorative. In formal writing, more precise terms like 'impetuous individual', 'reckless person', or 'fiery temperament' are often preferred.
Not directly. Words like 'passionate' or 'zealous' can describe intense emotion positively, but they lack the core connotations of rashness and poor judgment inherent in 'hothead'. 'Daredevil' or 'adventurer' focus on risk-taking without the necessary element of anger.
A person who acts impulsively, with anger or aggression, without thinking carefully.
Hothead: in British English it is pronounced /ˈhɒt.hed/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈhɑːt.hed/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Hot under the collar (related concept of anger)”
- “Fly off the handle (related impulsive action)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Picture someone's head literally on fire (hot head) because they are so angry and impulsive. The steam coming out represents their quick temper.
Conceptual Metaphor
ANGER IS HEAT. A person's head/mind is a container for emotions. Intense anger heats the contents of the container, leading to explosive pressure.
Practice
Quiz
In which situation is someone LEAST likely to be called a hothead?