What does hotly mean?
Hotly is an adverb meaning with great heat or, more commonly, with strong emotion, force, or anger. It is especially associated with arguments and disagreement: a proposal may be hotly debated, a decision may be hotly contested, or someone may hotly deny an accusation. In these uses, the word conveys both intensity and a sense of agitation or confrontation, often with the suggestion that opposing positions are strongly held. Hotly can also describe something done at a high temperature, as when food is eaten or served hotly, although this use is less frequent in modern English. The word is standard in British and American usage and is not limited to a particular region. Its combination of literal temperature and figurative intensity makes it especially useful in descriptions of heated debates, emotional reactions, and emphatic disagreement.
adverbWith great heat or, more commonly, with strong feeling, force, or anger. It is often used to describe an emphatic dispute, reaction, or opposition.
- With strong feeling, force, or anger; passionately or heatedly.
- At a high temperature; with great heat.
"The proposal was hotly debated before the committee rejected it."
"She hotly denied any involvement in the dispute."
"The bread was served hotly, straight from the oven."
Hotly turns heat into intensity: the same word can describe food served at a high temperature and an argument conducted with passion.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hotly come from?
Hotly is formed from the adjective hot with the productive English adverbial suffix -ly. The adjective hot descends from Old English hāt, and the suffix -ly developed from Old English forms meaning in the manner of. English heat, heated, and heating belong to the same broad Germanic family, reflecting the shared semantic connection between heat and high temperature.
How hotly is actually used
Usually carries a forceful or passionate tone. It can sound formal when used in editorial or political contexts, but it is otherwise standard in both British and American English.