hot-cold
Opposite thermal sensations
Hot-cold describes something characterized by alternating between extremes of warmth and coolness, or metaphorically between enthusiasm and indifference.
Someone who runs hot-cold in a relationship shifts unpredictably between affection and distance.
The term captures inconsistency or volatility: The team's hot-cold performance made them hard to predict.
Self-service meal display
- servingMeasured food portion
- temperatureMeasured heat intensity
- dishesEating vessels and utensils
- holdingMaintaining physical possession
catering · appetizers · entrees · station · spread · potluck · smorgasbord · running water
Heat-measuring instrument
- fluctuationIrregular change over time
- contrastNotable difference between things
- extremesOutermost ends of range
- weatherAtmospheric state outdoors
fever · chills · climate · sensation · degrees · regulation · tolerance · sensitivity
Reduce volume by force
- packGroup or compress
- treatmentCare for an ailment
- alternatingOccurring in turns
- inflammationProtective tissue response
recovery · hydrotherapy · soak · muscle · relief · circulation · swelling · injury
Attempting to find
- hidingStaying out of sight
- cluesHints toward answers
- guessingEstimating without certainty
- warmerHigher in temperature
children · proximity · hints · closer · farther · searching · playful · direction
Lacking steady uniformity
- unpredictableCannot be anticipated
- mixed signalsContradictory indications from someone
- moodyProne to sullenness
- volatileLiable to sudden change
temperamental · fickle · ambivalent · blowing · indecisive · mercurial · erratic · wavering
buffet
Self-service meal display
- servingMeasured food portion
- temperatureMeasured heat intensity
- dishesEating vessels and utensils
holding · catering · appetizers · entrees · station · spread · potluck · smorgasbord · running water · tap
thermometer
Heat-measuring instrument
- fluctuationIrregular change over time
- contrastNotable difference between things
- extremesOutermost ends of range
weather · fever · chills · climate · sensation · degrees · regulation · tolerance · sensitivity · exposure
compress
Reduce volume by force
- packGroup or compress
- treatmentCare for an ailment
- alternatingOccurring in turns
inflammation · recovery · hydrotherapy · soak · muscle · relief · circulation · swelling · injury · sports medicine
seeking
Attempting to find
warmer · children · proximity · hints · closer · farther · searching · playful · direction · feedback
inconsistent
Lacking steady uniformity
- unpredictableCannot be anticipated
- mixed signalsContradictory indications from someone
- moodyProne to sullenness
volatile · temperamental · fickle · ambivalent · blowing · indecisive · mercurial · erratic · wavering · capricious
- hyphenated wordsup-to-date, pitch-black, jaw-dropping, round-the-clock, air-conditioned
hot-coldsteady
Fixed, not fluctuating
stable · unchanging · even-tempered · consistent · room temperature
hot-coldconsistent
Not varying or contradicting
steady · reliable · predictable · stable · dependable
hot, cold, hotter, hottest, hotly, hotness, colder, coldest, coldly