Meaning & use
heated debates
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“heated debates” is a form of “heated debate”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
nouncountable
Angry or intense arguments in which people strongly disagree.
Grammar: Countable noun; use 'a heated debate' for one, 'heated debates' for more than one.
Patterns
- heated debates about something
- spark heated debates
- trigger heated debates
The new policy sparked heated debates among the staff.
There were heated debates in parliament about the budget.
Heated debates often arise when religion is discussed.
Word forms
| singular | heated debate |
|---|
Common combinations
- spark heated debates
- The proposal sparked heated debates across the country.
- trigger heated debates
- The article triggered heated debates online.
- heated debates about
- There were heated debates about the new law.
- heated debates over
- Heated debates over immigration continued for hours.
Synonyms and how they differ
- arguments
- More general and can be less intense; 'heated debates' suggests strong emotion and public discussion.
- disputes
- Often used for formal disagreements, while 'heated debates' emphasizes the heat of the exchange.
Opposites
Word family
Practice
Which sentence uses 'heated debates' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Heated debates' is plural and takes a plural verb. Option C uses it correctly as a plural noun. Option A has a singular verb, option B uses 'a' with a plural, and option D uses it as a person.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “heated debates”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.