Meaning & use
hottest
Last updated
“hottest” is a form of “hot”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
adjectivenot comparable
Having the highest temperature of all the people or things being compared.
Grammar: Already a superlative, so it never takes more or most; use it before a noun or after the verb be.
Patterns
- the hottest part of something
- the hottest day of the year
- the hottest place in a region
August is usually the hottest month here, so we stay indoors at midday.
This is the hottest room in the house because the sun hits it all afternoon.
Yesterday was the hottest day of the summer, with temperatures above 40 degrees.
adjectivenot comparableinformal
Most popular, exciting, or in greatest demand at the present time.
Grammar: Used mainly before a noun in informal talk about trends, news, or products.
Patterns
- the hottest topic
- the hottest ticket in town
- the hottest new product
Her podcast is the hottest thing in tech news right now.
Tickets for the final are the hottest item in the city this week.
Everyone is talking about the hottest new phone of the year.
adjectivenot comparable
Most intense, spicy, or forceful in a group being compared.
Grammar: Follows the same pattern as other superlatives: the hottest of the three, the hottest sauce on the menu.
Patterns
- the hottest sauce
- the hottest curry on the menu
- the hottest debate of the year
That is the hottest sauce on the menu, so try a small amount first.
Their argument about the budget was the hottest debate of the meeting.
Of all the peppers we grew, this one is the hottest.
Word forms
| positive | hot |
|---|---|
| comparative | hotter |
Common combinations
- the hottest day
- The hottest day on record was in July.
- the hottest place
- The desert is the hottest place in the country.
- hottest topic
- Climate change is the hottest topic at the conference.
- hottest ticket
- Her concert is the hottest ticket this season.
- one of the hottest
- It is one of the hottest cities in the world.
Synonyms and how they differ
- warmest
- Use warmest for mild, pleasant heat, while hottest suggests very high or uncomfortable temperatures.
- most popular
- This fits the trend sense better when you want to avoid informal wording.
- spiciest
- Use spiciest only for food with strong chili heat, not for weather or popularity.
Opposites
Word family
- hot adjective
- Having a high temperature.
- hotly adverb
- In an angry or excited way, as in hotly debated.
- hotness noun
- The quality of being hot.
Commonly confused: hottest or hotter? hottest or hotted?
hottest vs hotter
Hotter compares two things; hottest compares three or more and marks the extreme.
hottest vs hotted
Hotted is a rare past form of the verb hot up, not the superlative of hot.
Practice
Which sentence uses the superlative correctly?
Choose one answer.
"Hottest" is already a superlative, so it stands alone before the noun: the hottest soup. "Most hottest" doubles the superlative, "hotter" compares only two things, and "hottest ... than" mixes a superlative with a comparative structure.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hottest”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.