run hot and cold
Switch between opposites
To run hot and cold is to alternate between enthusiasm and indifference, or between warmth and coldness in attitude.
The phrase suggests inconsistency and unpredictability: She runs hot and cold on the idea of moving abroad.
Often describes romantic interest that waxes and wanes: He's been running hot and cold with me for months.
- waverHesitate or fluctuate
- back and forthRepeated alternating movement
- ambivalentHaving contradictory feelings
- inconsistentLacking steady uniformity
- fickleErratically disloyal in affection
mercurial · vacillating · on-again-off-again · lukewarmness · capricious · changeability · fluctuation · temperamental · oscillation · mixed signals · attachment styles · unpredictable · volatile · yo-yo · sway · flip-flopping · all over the place · indecision
run hot and coldconsistent
Not varying or contradicting
steady · reliable · constant · dependable · stable
run hot and coldeven-tempered
Reliably calm disposition
level-headed · steady · balanced · calm · composed
cold, running, runner, runners, runny, hotter, hottest, hotly, hotness