hot-blooded

IPA/ˌhɒt ˈblʌdɪd/
IPA/ˌhɑːt ˈblʌdɪd/

hot-blooded — adjective

1. People who are hot-blooded become very angry, excited, or affectionate very quic

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

People who are hot-blooded become very angry, excited, or affectionate very quickly and tend to express those intense feelings openly rather than hiding them.

Example

Kenji is hot-blooded — he cries at happy endings and shouts during heated arguments.

collocation: hot-blooded + emotional reactions

The hot-blooded fans rushed onto the field after their team won the championship match.

attributive use before a noun

Common collocations
  • hot-blooded nature
  • hot-blooded temper
  • hot-blooded youth
  • hot-blooded reaction
Synonyms
  • passionate

    more positive in tone; less focused on quick anger

  • fiery

    slightly more literary; emphasises intensity and spirit

  • excitable

    more neutral; does not strongly suggest love or affection

  • quick-tempered

    narrower — refers mainly to anger, not to love or excitement

Antonyms
  • cold

    suggests emotional distance and lack of strong feeling

  • unemotional

    neutral register; describes someone who shows little feeling

  • placid

    implies a calm, undisturbed temperament

Grammar Patterns

hot-blooded + noun

be hot-blooded

Usage Note

Typically describes a personality trait or temperamental style rather than a temporary mood. The word can apply to both positive reactions (intense excitement, affection) and negative ones (quick anger, heated frustration).

Common Mistakes

He is a hot-blooded person so he never gets angry.
He is a hot-blooded person so he easily loses his temper when things go wrong.
hot-blooded means someone feels emotions strongly, not that they are calm or indifferent.
The weather feels hot-blooded today.
My brother gets hot-blooded whenever anyone mentions politics.
hot-blooded describes a person's nature, not the temperature or physical heat.

2. used to describe people who express strong sexual desire energetically and openl

2.adjectiveC1
Definition

used to describe people who express strong sexual desire energetically and openly, especially in romantic or artistic contexts.

Example

The novel tells a story of hot-blooded romance between two dancers in Buenos Aires.

attributive: hot-blooded romance

Ravindra plays a hot-blooded lover in the film who chases Manuela across Europe.

Common collocations
  • hot-blooded lover
  • hot-blooded romance
  • hot-blooded passion
  • hot-blooded woman
Synonyms
  • passionate

    broader meaning; can describe any strong enthusiasm, not exclusively sexual

  • ardent

    more formal and literary; implies deep, intense feeling

  • amorous

    more specific to romantic or sexual desire; slightly old-fashioned

Antonyms
  • frigid

    strongly negative; describes lack of sexual responsiveness

  • cold

    can describe emotional or sexual distance

Grammar Patterns

hot-blooded + noun

Usage Note

Used almost exclusively to describe people (or their actions, relationships, or artistic portrayals). Rarely appears in scientific, technical, or everyday neutral contexts — the word carries a literary or slightly dramatic tone.

Common Mistakes

The hot-blooded summer air made everyone uncomfortable.
The movie follows the hot-blooded romance of two young artists in Paris.
hot-blooded refers to passionate human desire, not to physical temperature or weather.
She is hot-blooded about her job.
She is hot-blooded in her romantic relationships, but reserved at work.
hot-blooded in this sense is tied to sexual or romantic passion, not general enthusiasm.

Word family

  • hot-bloodedly
    adverbC1
  • hot-bloodedness
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe people who feel or express emotions strongly, but they differ in tone and scope. Hot-blooded suggests someone whose emotions — especially anger and love — rise quickly and show visibly; it often carries a slightly literary or old-fashioned feel. Passionate is broader and more positive, covering any deep enthusiasm (for a cause, a hobby, or a person) without the implication of quick temper. Fiery is more dramatic and intense, often used for anger or determination in high-stakes situations, while excitable is neutral and simply means easily stimulated emotionally. For example, a passionate teacher inspires students; a fiery speaker rallies a crowd; an excitable puppy jumps at every sound; but a hot-blooded character in a novel might shout in anger one moment and weep with joy the next.

hot-blooded ↗passionate ↗fiery ↗excitable ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishMedieval Latin (humoral theory)English

The compound 'hot-blooded' combines 'hot' (meaning heated or passionate, from Old English hāt) with 'blooded' (referring to temperament, from the medieval theory of the four humours, where an excess of blood was believed to make a person warm-hearted, cheerful, and quick to react). The expression has been used in English since the late 1500s to describe people with fiery, passionate natures.