Hot words are very effective for bringing out emotions in people.
Comparing both these statements, which one has more of an emotional impact:
“The elder succumbed to the cold.”
“The old man froze to death.”
Both statements have three hot words each, and are both pretty grim statements but the second one will get more of an emotional response from people.
When the words old man, froze and death are used independently, they appear neutral but when put together, they are very powerful, and should be used to create an unconscious response from your subjects.x