ENGLISH
REFERENCE

piping hot

idiom
Meaning

Very hot.


Origin

From Middle English. First attested circa second half of 14th century, from the similarity between the sizzling sound of food cooking in a frying pan and that of musical pipes, from Canterbury Tales http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/2383 by Geoffrey Chaucer: :: "He singeth brokking¹ as a nightingale. / He sent her piment, mead, and spiced ale, / And wafers² piping hot out of the glede³: / And, for she was of town, he proffer'd meed." :: ¹ quavering, ² cakes, ³ coals

Examples
SIMPLE

The soup is piping hot, so be careful.

CONTEXTUAL

The waiter brought the pizza to our table while it was still piping hot.

COMPLEX

She served the tea piping hot, its steam rising into the cold morning air as they sat down to discuss the day.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    baking hot

    Very hot.

  2. 02

    blow hot air

    To engage in empty or exaggerated talk that lacks substance, credibility, or truth; to bluster.

  3. 03

    blow hot and cold

    To behave inconsistently; to vacillate or to waver, as between extremes of opinion or emotion.

  4. 04

    boiling hot

    Extremely hot (having a high temperature: of an object, the weather, a living creature).

  5. 05

    come in hot

    To enter the scene of conflict quickly and aggressively.

  6. 06

    full of hot air

    Talking a lot, especially without saying anything of value or meaning.

  7. 07

    hissing hot

    Very hot.

  8. 08

    hot air

    Empty, confused, or exaggerated talk lacking meaning or substance; bluster.

© 2026 English Reference