What does "hotshot" mean?
Someone with exceptional skills in a certain field.
Hotshot
/ˈhɒtˌʃɒt/ adj, noun, verb, slang
adj, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Someone with exceptional skills in a certain field.
- Grammar: hotshot is listed as adj, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: ace, accomplished, adept, bigwig.
- Useful contrasts: average performer, humble, humble worker.
- Usage evidence: She married a hotshot lawyer from New York.
How to use "hotshot"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "hotshot" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "hotshot" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "hotshot" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "hotshot" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "hotshot" is acting as adj, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "ace" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "hotshot", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Someone with exceptional skills in a certain field. informal
"She sure was a hotshot on the keyboard, 93 words per minute!"
- 2 someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field wordnet
- 3 A type of firefighter highly skilled in wildfire firefighting without external support, using basic tools that are backpacked in and manhandled about.
- 4 A portable device that is used to jump-start an automobile battery, or the electrical output of such a device. US
- 5 A fast freight train. US
"Indeed, development proceeded so rapidly thereafter that Mopac, for instance, was rebuilding a series of 10-year-old Woodard 2-8-4's into 4-8-4's by 1940 - not because they couldn't steam but because their 63-inch drivers couldn't roll the hotshots fast enough."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A dose of recreational drugs deliberately laced with poison. slang
"I sniffed glue, transmission fluid, gasoline, whatever drug anybody gave me, I took. […] [Y]ears ago, I was in a drug rehabilitation program and found out that my brother was killed after somebody gave him a hotshot, drugs laced with poison."
- 7 A lethal injection of heroin or another opiate.
"“You guys are being babies.” “Babies.” “Oh, we're being babies, Mac? Why don't you go work for your dad all day?” “My dad's a meth dealer.” “[Mock Crying] Oh, oh, no! My daddy's in prison!” “My daddy used to give hot shots to prostitutes. Feel sorry for me!”"
Verb
- 1 To give (somebody) a dose of recreational drugs deliberately laced with poison. slang, transitive
Adjective
- 1 Highly skilled. informal
"He was a hotshot lawyer, with an astounding win-loss record."
- 2 Displaying talent. informal
"Keep up those hotshot baskets, and the scouts are sure to take notice."
Antonyms
Example
"She married a hotshot lawyer from New York."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "hotshot"?
Common synonyms include: ace, accomplished, adept, bigwig, blowhard, braggart.
How do you use "hotshot" in a sentence?
She married a hotshot lawyer from New York.
How do you pronounce "hotshot"?
Pronounced /ˈhɒtˌʃɒt/.
Etymology
From hot + shot.