a heated debate — intense argument or discussion
collocationC1IELTS 7+neutralcommon
a discussion or argument in which people express strong emotions and opinions, often raising their voices or becoming passionate.
Say it like a native
Textbook An impassioned and vociferous discussion ensued.
Native It turned into a heated debate.
'Vociferous discussion ensued' is bookish; 'heated debate' is the natural collocation.
Pattern: a heated debate (about/over something)
In use
- There was a heated debate over the new policy at yesterday's meeting.communication
- In my opinion, introducing stricter regulations on social media would spark a heated debate among both users and policymakers.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ We had a hot debate about it.
✓ We had a heated debate about it.
It's a 'heated' debate, not a 'hot' debate.
Common collocations
a heated debate about— about, over, sparked, ensued
Don't confuse it
Unlike a simple 'debate', which can be calm and logical, 'a heated debate' emphasizes strong feelings and intensity. Do not confuse with 'hot debate', which is much less common and can sound unnatural.