Torrid, Spooner's corruption of the mind? (3-3)

I believe the answer is:

red-hot

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'torrid' is the definition.
(thesaurus)

I cannot understand how the remainder of the clue works.

(Other definitions for red-hot that I've seen before include "Glowing; extremely popular" , "Glowing; passionate" , "Of news, fresh and completely new" , "Very good" , "Very, very warm" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.

Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app