Sometimes, we feel very warm or the weather gets really hot. But instead of just saying “It’s hot,” people use fun phrases to describe it. These are called metaphors. Metaphors help us picture what someone means by comparing hot to other things.
For example, someone might say, “It’s a furnace outside,” when the sun is strong. This doesn’t mean there’s a real furnace. It just shows how hot the day feels. In this article, you will learn many metaphors for “hot.” These phrases make talking about heat more interesting and fun. You will also see how they are used in everyday life.
Metaphors for Hot
1. Hot as an oven
Meaning: Very hot.
Example: The car was hot as an oven after sitting in the sun. / My room felt hot as an oven.
Put Differently: It was super warm inside. / The heat was strong.
2. Burning up
Meaning: Feeling very hot.
Example: I’m burning up in this jacket. / She said she was burning up after running.
Put Differently: I feel way too warm. / I’m really hot.
3. On fire
Meaning: Extremely hot or doing really well.
Example: My hands were on fire after playing in the sun. / He’s on fire in the game.
Put Differently: It felt super hot. / He’s doing great.
4. Like a furnace
Meaning: Very hot space or feeling.
Example: The gym felt like a furnace. / This room is like a furnace!
Put Differently: It’s really warm in here. / Too hot inside.
5. Heatwave
Meaning: A period of very hot weather.
Example: We had a heatwave last week. / The heatwave made everyone stay inside.
Put Differently: It was hot for many days. / Too hot to go out.
6. Boiling hot
Meaning: Very, very hot.
Example: The tea was boiling hot. / My feet felt boiling hot in my shoes.
Put Differently: It was too hot to touch. / My shoes were too warm.
7. Like a hot potato
Meaning: Something passed quickly or avoided.
Example: He dropped the cup like a hot potato. / She gave the question away like a hot potato.
Put Differently: He didn’t want to hold it. / She didn’t want to answer.
8. Sweat like a pig
Meaning: Sweating a lot.
Example: I was sweating like a pig in gym class. / He sweat like a pig during recess.
Put Differently: I was really sweaty. / He was super warm.
9. Cooked alive
Meaning: Feeling very hot.
Example: We felt cooked alive in the tent. / It’s like being cooked alive outside.
Put Differently: It’s way too hot. / I feel baked.
10. Fire in your shoes
Meaning: Feeling hot or moving fast.
Example: I had fire in my shoes walking on the sand. / He ran like fire was in his shoes.
Put Differently: The ground was very hot. / He ran quickly.
11. Hot under the collar
Meaning: Feeling upset or hot.
Example: He got hot under the collar when it was 95 degrees. / She was hot under the collar after the argument.
Put Differently: He was sweaty and mad. / She was upset.
12. Melt like ice cream
Meaning: Getting very hot and tired.
Example: I felt like I’d melt like ice cream. / We were melting like ice cream on the bus.
Put Differently: Too hot to handle. / It felt like I was melting.
13. Roast in the sun
Meaning: Getting too much heat from the sun.
Example: We roasted in the sun at the picnic. / I roasted in the sun during the game.
Put Differently: I got really warm. / The sun made me feel cooked.
14. Steaming hot
Meaning: Very hot and humid.
Example: The room was steaming hot. / My face felt steaming hot after running.
Put Differently: It felt heavy and warm. / Too much heat in the air.
15. Fireball
Meaning: Something very hot or fast.
Example: That pepper was a fireball! / The sun looked like a fireball today.
Put Differently: It burned a lot. / The sun was really strong.
16. Sizzling
Meaning: Very hot or exciting.
Example: The sidewalk was sizzling. / It was a sizzling summer day.
Put Differently: The ground was very hot. / It felt like fire outside.
17. Blazing
Meaning: Hot and bright.
Example: The sun was blazing in the sky. / Blazing heat made us stay in the shade.
Put Differently: It was shining and warm. / The heat was strong.
18. Like lava
Meaning: Extremely hot.
Example: The soup felt like lava. / My feet were burning like lava.
Put Differently: Too hot to touch. / Felt like fire.
19. As hot as the desert
Meaning: Very dry and warm.
Example: The playground was as hot as the desert. / It felt like the desert during P.E.
Put Differently: It was dry and burning. / Really warm day.
20. Frying
Meaning: Feeling hot like being cooked.
Example: I was frying out there. / We were frying in the sun.
Put Differently: We were too hot. / Like being in a pan.
21. Toasty
Meaning: Warm and a little cozy.
Example: My blanket was toasty. / It’s toasty in the classroom.
Put Differently: It feels warm. / A little hot but nice.
22. Sweltering
Meaning: Very uncomfortable heat.
Example: It was a sweltering summer afternoon. / Sweltering heat made it hard to play.
Put Differently: Too hot and sticky. / Hard to do things.
23. Heat like a blanket
Meaning: Heat that wraps all around you.
Example: The air felt like a hot blanket. / Heat hugged me like a blanket.
Put Differently: Heat was all around. / Like being covered in warmth.
24. Boiling point
Meaning: Extreme heat or anger.
Example: The class reached a boiling point with no AC. / My body hit a boiling point in gym.
Put Differently: Too much heat. / Couldn’t take it anymore.
25. Firestorm
Meaning: A strong burst of heat or trouble.
Example: The firestorm made it hard to breathe. / The heat came like a firestorm.
Put Differently: It felt sudden and strong. / Too much all at once.
26. Scorching
Meaning: Burning hot.
Example: It was a scorching day at the park. / The metal slide was scorching.
Put Differently: Super hot. / Couldn’t touch it.
27. Boil over
Meaning: Getting too hot or angry.
Example: I boiled over after standing outside. / Her face looked like it could boil over.
Put Differently: Too much heat or emotion. / About to burst.
28. Heat trap
Meaning: A space that holds too much warmth.
Example: The attic is a heat trap. / Our car turned into a heat trap.
Put Differently: The heat stayed in. / Very warm place.
29. Sun blazed down
Meaning: The sun shines with a lot of heat.
Example: The sun blazed down on our backs. / We walked while the sun blazed down.
Put Differently: The sun felt heavy. / The heat came from the sky.
30. Hot breath of summer
Meaning: Warm air like a breath.
Example: I felt the hot breath of summer today. / Summer’s hot breath was everywhere.
Put Differently: Warm air all around. / Summer heat is strong.
31. Smothering heat
Meaning: Too hot to feel okay.
Example: Smothering heat made it hard to think. / We were stuck in smothering heat.
Put Differently: It was hard to breathe. / Heat was too much.
32. Flaming sun
Meaning: Bright and hot sun.
Example: The flaming sun was above us. / The day started with a flaming sun.
Put Differently: Sun was very strong. / Sky felt hot.
33. Like a fire pit
Meaning: Extremely hot area.
Example: That corner felt like a fire pit. / The sand was like a fire pit.
Put Differently: Hot to the touch. / Very warm place.
34. Burning rays
Meaning: Heat from the sun that feels hot.
Example: I could feel the burning rays on my arms. / The burning rays made me sweat.
Put Differently: Sunlight was hot. / Rays made it warm.
35. Heat rising
Meaning: You can feel the warmth coming up.
Example: Heat was rising from the sidewalk. / I saw heat rising in the playground.
Put Differently: You could see or feel it. / Warm air moving up.
36. Fire-hot
Meaning: Very, very hot.
Example: The pizza was fire-hot! / The rocks were fire-hot after the sun.
Put Differently: Too hot to hold. / Burning hot.
37. Like an iron
Meaning: Hard and hot surface.
Example: The seat was like an iron. / The bench felt like an iron.
Put Differently: Hot and stiff. / Burned when I sat.
38. Dry as toast
Meaning: Very dry and warm.
Example: My throat was dry as toast. / It was dry as toast outside.
Put Differently: I needed water. / Air was hot and dry.
39. Feels like fire
Meaning: Extreme heat feeling.
Example: My skin felt like fire. / It feels like fire in this hoodie.
Put Differently: It burned. / Too hot.
40. Like a heat ray
Meaning: Heat feels strong and direct.
Example: The sun hit me like a heat ray. / The window let in a heat ray.
Put Differently: A beam of heat. / Very focused warmth.
“Rewrite the Sentence” Activity:Metaphors for Hot
Rewrite each sentence using one of the metaphors for hot you just learned.
Sentences to Rewrite
- The sun felt really strong during recess.
- My ice cream melted quickly.
- The classroom was very warm after lunch.
- I couldn’t touch the slide because it was too hot.
- I felt super sweaty after gym.
- The sun made my back hurt.
- We didn’t want to get in the car because of the heat.
- My face turned red from the warmth.
- The bench at the park felt very hot.
- My shirt stuck to me because I was so hot.
Answer Key
- The sun blazed down during recess.
- My ice cream melted like ice cream on a summer day.
- The classroom was a heat trap after lunch.
- The slide was scorching hot.
- I was sweating like a pig after gym.
- The sun’s burning rays hurt my back.
- The car was like a furnace.
- My face boiled over from the heat.
- The park bench felt like an iron.
- I felt like I was cooked alive in my shirt.
Conclusion
Using metaphors makes talking about hot weather more fun. These expressions help us explain what heat feels like in a clearer way. Instead of saying “it’s hot,” we can say “it’s like a furnace” or “I’m melting like ice cream.” These pictures make language stronger and easier to understand.
With practice, you can use these metaphors in your own writing and speaking. Try them the next time it gets warm outside. It will make your storie
