# run hot and cold

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/run-hot-and-cold
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To alternate between two opposite extremes, such as enthusiasm and disinterest or success and failure.

## Examples

- He runs hot and cold about his new job.
- My friend runs hot and cold regarding our travel plans, so I never know if we are actually going.
- The unpredictable investor runs hot and cold, showing great interest in the project one day and complete indifference the next.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.