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hot-mouthed

An idiomatic slang term for someone who is headstrong, ungovernable, or difficult to control — a person who talks back, refuses to be reined in, and says exactly what they think regardless of the consequences.

ˈhɑtˈmʌtˌnud230 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
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#1·Apr 28, 2026

An idiomatic slang term for someone who is headstrong, ungovernable, or difficult to control — a person who talks back, refuses to be reined in, and says exactly what they think regardless of the consequences. The metaphor comes from horsemanship: a 'hot-mouthed' horse resists the bit and is hard to control, and the same quality in a person suggests wilful, opinionated, combustible energy. It's an evocative if old-fashioned way to describe someone whose mouth runs faster than their good sense.

The new recruit was talented but hot-mouthed, constantly arguing with senior officers over decisions that weren't his to question.
Origin: Derived from the equestrian term for a horse that is sensitive or resistant in the mouth and hard to control with the reins; transferred to human behaviour to describe wilful, ungovernable speech or temperament. Editorial expansion authored on Slangora (model-assisted, hedged).
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#2·Apr 27, 2026

(slang, idiomatic) Headstrong or ungovernable.

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