hot potato
English · Thesaurus
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hot potato
noun hot potatoes
-
A child's game in which players pass a ball or other item between them, with the object of avoiding being left holding the item when time expires.
Similar: pass the parcel
- An unwanted problem that is awkward or delicate. The “lame duck” Johnson Administration, in its final fortnight in office, grappled last week with a diplomatic hot potato in the form of the latest Soviet proposal for a “just and lasting” Middle East peace settlement.
Translations
Every language
noun child's game
| Español | patata caliente |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 擊鼓傳花 /击鼓传花 jīgǔchuánhuā |
| Français | patate chaude |
| Italiano | patata calda |
| Русский | карто́шка kartóška |
noun awkward or delicate problem
| Español | patata caliente |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 뜨거운 감자 tteugeoun gamja |
| 中文 | 燙手山芋 /烫手山芋 tàngshǒushānyù |
| Français | patate chaude |
| Deutsch | heißes Eisen |
| Italiano | patata bollente |
| עברית | תַּפּוּחַ אֲדָמָה לוֹהֵט tapúaẖ adamá lohét |
Talk about this word "hot potato." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/hot%20potato. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. hot potato. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/hot%20potato "hot potato." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/hot%20potato.Cite this
@misc{hot_potato_2026,
title = {hot potato},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/hot%20potato},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
