white-hot(形容词):白热的;炽热到发白的;(情绪、竞争、讨论等)极度激烈的、白热化的。常见引申义是“达到最高强度/最激烈状态”。(也可作比喻,指“怒火中烧、情绪极端强烈”。)
/ˌwaɪt ˈhɑːt/
The debate turned white-hot in minutes.
辩论在几分钟内就变得白热化。
As the trial entered its final week, public interest grew white-hot, and every new detail dominated the headlines.
随着审判进入最后一周,公众关注度变得异常高涨,每一条新细节都占据了新闻头条。
源自对金属或物体受热发光现象的描写:温度极高时会“发白”(white-hot),比“red-hot(赤热的)”更高。后来被广泛借用于形容强度达到顶点的情绪、竞争、舆论或冲突状态。