What does hots mean?
“Hots” is the plural form of “hot” and is especially familiar from the informal phrase “the hots,” meaning intense sexual or romantic attraction to someone. Expressions such as “have the hots for” and “get the hots for” describe a sudden or persistent fascination, sometimes with a playful or humorous tone. In more literal contexts, “hots” can refer to several things that are hot, although English speakers more often use the singular or another construction such as “the plates are hot.” The word is therefore grammatical rather than fully independent: its everyday idiomatic use extends the older plural form of “hot” into a distinct expression of desire. It is useful in informal writing and conversation, while formal contexts usually favor “attraction,” “desire,” or “infatuation.”
plural nounThe plural form of “hot,” especially in the informal expression “the hots,” meaning a strong feeling of sexual or romantic attraction to someone.
- The plural of “hot,” used in informal expressions such as “the hots” to mean strong sexual or romantic attraction to someone.
- A form of “hot” used when referring to several items that are hot or when describing a group of people or things characterized by heat.
"She has the hots for her new colleague."
"He has had the hots for her ever since they met at the concert."
"The plates are still hots, so please handle them carefully."
Used as the regular plural of “hot” and idiomatically in “the hots” to mean strong romantic or sexual attraction.
"I didn't expect him to have the hots for me."
The phrase “have the hots for someone” turns an ordinary plural into a playful and unmistakably intense expression of attraction.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hots come from?
The word is the regular plural of “hot,” whose English form comes from Old English hāt, meaning “hot” or “ardent.” The adjective ultimately relates to a Germanic and Indo-European root associated with heat or burning. The phrase “the hots” developed an idiomatic meaning of strong attraction by using the plural form in an expressive, informal way.
Related word forms
How hots is actually used
The expression “the hots” is informal and usually carries a romantic or sexual implication. In other contexts, “hots” is simply the regular plural of “hot,” though it is less common than the singular in ordinary speech.
Easily confused with hots
“Hot” is the base adjective meaning having a high temperature or strong intensity, while “hots” is its plural form and, in the expression “the hots,” informal attraction toward someone.