Deformation behavior of an Al-Cu-Mg-Mn-Zr alloy during hot compression was characterized in present work by high-temperature testing and transmission electron microscope (TEM) studies. The true stress-true strain curves exhibited a peak stress at a critical stain. The peak stress decreased with increasing deformation temperature and decreasing strain rate, which can be described by Zener-Hollomon (Z) parameter in hyperbolic sine function with the deformation activation energy 277.8 kJ/mol. The processing map revealed the existence of an optimum hot-working regime between 390 and 420 A degrees C, under strain rates ranging from 0.1 to 1 s(-1). The main softening mechanism of the alloy was dynamic recovery at high lnZ value; continuous dynamic recrystallization (DRX) occurred as deformed at low lnZ value. The dynamic precipitation of Al3Zr and Al20Cu2Mn3 dispersoids during hot deformation restrained DRX and increased the hot deformation activation energy of the alloy.