Standard Lemma guide

hothead

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

One who becomes angry easily or goes in search of arguments or fights.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: derogatory

Examples

  • The club was full of eager young hotheads who never seemed to be able to agree on anything.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

One who reacts quickly and without thinking carefully first.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Someone get this hothead out of here before he does some damage.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a reckless impetuous irresponsible person

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: daredevil, madcap, swashbuckler, lunatic, harum-scarum

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: adventurer, venturer

Narrower terms: tearaway

4

noun

Meaning 4

a belligerent grouch

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fire-eater

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: grouch, grump, crank, churl, crosspatch

History

Etymology

From hot + head. Compare English hotbrain (“a hothead”); Middle English hot-heorte, hat-heorte (“anger”), Old English hātheort (“furious, angry, irascible, passionate, ardent”, literally “hot-heart”).

Across languages

Translations

20 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Danish: brushoved — one who angers easily or goes in search of arguments or fights
  • Danish: hidsigprop — one who angers easily or goes in search of arguments or fights
  • Danish: hystade — one who angers easily or goes in search of arguments or fights
  • Danish: furie — one who angers easily or goes in search of arguments or fights
  • Dutch: heethoofd — one who angers easily or goes in search of arguments or fights
  • Dutch: driftkikker — one who angers easily or goes in search of arguments or fights
  • Finnish: kuumapää — one who angers easily or goes in search of arguments or fights
  • Finnish: kuumakalle — one who angers easily or goes in search of arguments or fights
  • Finnish: höyrypää — one who angers easily or goes in search of arguments or fights
  • Galician: arroutado — one who angers easily or goes in search of arguments or fights
  • German: Hitzkopf — one who angers easily or goes in search of arguments or fights
  • Ancient Greek: ὀξυθυμίας (oxuthumías) — one who angers easily or goes in search of arguments or fights
  • Indonesian: pemarah — one who angers easily or goes in search of arguments or fights
  • Italian: testa calda — one who angers easily or goes in search of arguments or fights
  • Māori: ika whakawera — one who angers easily or goes in search of arguments or fights
  • Norwegian: hissigpropp — one who angers easily or goes in search of arguments or fights
  • Russian: горя́чая голова́ (gorjáčaja golová) — one who angers easily or goes in search of arguments or fights
  • Bulgarian: луда глава (luda glava) — one who reacts quickly and without thinking carefully first
  • French: tête brûlée — one who reacts quickly and without thinking carefully first
  • Galician: arroutado — one who reacts quickly and without thinking carefully first