hotly

hotly — adverb

1. showing strong feelings such as anger, passion, or great excitement when speakin

1.adverbB2
Definition

showing strong feelings such as anger, passion, or great excitement when speaking, denying, or reacting to something

Example

Shirin hotly denied stealing the money from her neighbour's house.

hotly denied — strong rejection of an accusation

The proposed railway project was hotly debated at the city council meeting.

passive: was hotly debated

Common collocations
  • hotly denied
  • hotly debated
  • hotly defended
  • hotly criticised
  • hotly argued
  • hotly disputed
  • hotly contested (when meaning emotionally charged)
Synonyms
  • angrily

    Focuses specifically on anger; 'hotly' can also imply excitement or passion, not just anger

  • passionately

    Emphasises deep personal feeling; 'hotly' adds an edge of confrontation or tension

  • fiercely

    Suggests aggressive determination; 'hotly' can be used in a wider range of emotional responses

  • vehemently

    More formal than 'hotly'; implies very strong, forceful expression of opinion

Antonyms
  • calmly

    Describes the opposite emotional tone — without anger or excitement

  • coolly

    Suggests deliberate lack of emotion, while 'hotly' implies emotional intensity

Grammar Patterns

hotly + [verb of speaking/denying/criticising]

[verb] + hotly

Usage Note

Most commonly used with verbs of speaking or reacting such as 'deny', 'debate', 'defend', 'criticise', 'argue', and 'dispute'. The adverb intensifies the emotional force of the action. Subject is typically a person or group with a strong opinion.

Common Mistakes

She argued hot about the election results.
She argued hotly about the election results.
'hot' is an adjective; the adverb form 'hotly' is required to describe how an action is performed.
The issue was hot discussed in parliament.
The issue was hotly discussed in parliament.
'hotly', not 'hot', must be used as the adverb modifying the verb.

2. in a way that involves strong effort, close competition, or determined pursuit,

2.adverbB2
Definition

in a way that involves strong effort, close competition, or determined pursuit, especially when several people or groups want the same thing

Example

The two candidates hotly contested the election for the school board.

hotly contested + election — close competition

Nila was hotly pursued by reporters after winning the national science award.

passive: was hotly pursued by

Common collocations
  • hotly contested
  • hotly pursued
  • hotly competed
  • hotly sought after
  • hotly debated (when meaning closely argued by competing sides)
  • hotly fought
Synonyms
  • fiercely

    Very close in meaning; 'fiercely' adds a sense of aggression, while 'hotly' focuses on intensity of effort

  • keenly

    Suggests eagerness rather than competitive tension; 'hotly' implies more direct rivalry

  • intensely

    Broader meaning; 'hotly' specifically carries the idea of close competition or determined chase

Grammar Patterns

hotly + [verb of contesting/pursuing/competing]

[be] + hotly + [past participle + by]

Usage Note

Frequently occurs in passive constructions ('was hotly contested', 'was hotly pursued'). Commonly appears in the pattern 'hotly sought after' with the meaning 'in high demand'. The sense emphasises that the participants are close in achievement or position, not just working hard.

Common Mistakes

The two teams hotly fought about the match.
The two teams hotly competed for the championship.
'hotly' in this sense describes competition or pursuit, not emotional arguing (covered in sense 1).
She hotly wanted the promotion.
The promotion was hotly sought after by several employees.
'hotly' does not modify a desire or wish directly; it modifies the action of competing or pursuing.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

These adverbs all describe doing something with strong emotion, but they differ in which emotion is highlighted. 'Angrily' names the specific emotion — anger — and is the most direct choice when someone is clearly upset. 'Passionately' focuses on deep personal conviction and is appropriate when emotion comes from belief rather than conflict. 'Fiercely' carries a sense of aggressive determination, suggesting the person is ready to fight for their position. 'Vehemently' is the most formal of the group and emphasises forceful, emphatic expression of an opinion — it is common in political or legal writing. 'Hotly' sits in the middle: it can cover anger, excitement, or passion, but always adds the sense that the situation is emotionally charged and often confrontational. For example: 'She angrily slammed the door' (pure anger); 'He passionately defended his beliefs' (conviction); 'They vehemently opposed the new law' (formal, forceful); but 'The two sides hotly debated the issue' (intense back-and-forth with strong feelings on both sides).

hotly ↗angrily ↗passionately ↗fiercely ↗vehemently

Common collocations

Phrases

  • hotly debated
  • hotly contested
  • hotly pursued
  • hotly denied
  • hotly defended
  • hotly criticised
  • hotly argued
  • hotly sought after
  • hotly disputed
  • hotly competing

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Formed from the adjective 'hot' (which comes from Old English 'hāt', meaning having a high temperature) plus the suffix '-ly', which turns adjectives into adverbs. The figurative meanings — emotionally heated (14th century) and intensely competitive (16th century) — developed from the idea that strong emotion or effort produces a feeling of heat, like the physical sensation of being hot.