hotter: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
A1Neutral to informal, depending on extended meanings.
Quick answer
What does “hotter” mean?
Comparative form of 'hot', meaning having a higher temperature than something else.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Comparative form of 'hot', meaning having a higher temperature than something else.
Can also mean more intense, more popular, more spicy, or more sexually attractive in informal contexts.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in core meaning. Informal use for attractiveness is common in both. 'Hotter' for spicy food is equally understood.
Connotations
In both varieties, 'hotter' can imply danger or intensity beyond mere temperature (e.g., 'a hotter political issue').
Frequency
Core temperature meaning is extremely frequent in both. Informal 'more attractive' usage is very common in casual speech/media in both regions.
Grammar
How to Use “hotter” in a Sentence
[NP] be hotter than [NP][NP] get hotter[NP] make [NP] hotterVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “hotter” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The engine is hotting up nicely.
- The debate hotted up after the scandal.
American English
- The engine is heating up nicely.
- The competition heated up in the final quarter.
adjective
British English
- This summer is hotter than the last.
- Be careful, the handle is hotter now.
American English
- It's hotter in Phoenix than in Seattle.
- The curry is hotter than I expected.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used metaphorically: 'The competition is getting hotter.'
Academic
Used in scientific contexts describing temperature gradients: 'The inner core is hotter than the mantle.'
Everyday
Extremely common for weather, food, and objects: 'My tea is hotter than yours.'
Technical
Used in thermodynamics, meteorology, engineering: 'The reactor runs hotter under load.'
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “hotter”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “hotter”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “hotter”
- Using 'more hot' in standard comparative constructions (e.g., 'Today is more hot' is non-standard).
- Confusing 'hotter' (temperature) with 'harder' (difficulty).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, the standard comparative form of the one-syllable adjective 'hot' is 'hotter'. 'More hot' is grammatically incorrect in standard usage, though it may be used for poetic or emphatic effect.
No. While its core meaning is temperature, it is widely used metaphorically to mean more intense, more popular, more spicy (food), or more sexually attractive (informal).
'Warmer' is a milder increase in temperature, often pleasant. 'Hotter' implies a more significant or potentially uncomfortable increase. 'Hotter' also has stronger metaphorical extensions (e.g., attraction, controversy).
In American English, the 't' in 'hotter' often becomes a flap [ɾ], sounding similar to a quick 'd'. So, 'hotter' is pronounced /ˈhɑː.t̬ɚ/, sounding like 'hah-der'.
Comparative form of 'hot', meaning having a higher temperature than something else.
Hotter is usually neutral to informal, depending on extended meanings. in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Hotter than hell”
- “In the hotter seat”
- “Hotter under the collar”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
HOTTER has two T's, like something that's so hot it needs an extra letter to hold the heat.
Conceptual Metaphor
HEAT IS INTENSITY / POPULARITY / ATTRACTION (e.g., a hotter topic, a hotter singer).
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'hotter' used in an informal, metaphorical way?