What does hottest mean?
Hottest is the superlative of hot and is used to identify something with the greatest degree of heat. Literally, it may describe the warmest temperature, place, day, or period, as in “the hottest day of the year.” Figuratively, it is often used for the most popular, attractive, exciting, or sought-after member of a group, such as a record, destination, event, or product. This figurative sense is especially prominent in everyday English and promotional writing. Hottest can function as an adjective, as in “the hottest song,” or as an adverb, as in “the river ran hottest during the drought.” Unlike the general term hot, which simply indicates a relatively high temperature or strong intensity, hottest makes a comparison and points to a maximum or leading position. It is understood throughout Britain and the United States and can convey either neutral factual description or an informal sense of trendiness and intense popularity.
Having the highest temperature; figuratively, being the most popular, attractive, exciting, or sought-after.
"We visited the hottest beach in the region."
The figurative sense is especially common in informal speech, entertainment, fashion, and advertising.
In the hottest manner or to the greatest degree of heat.
"The engine was running hottest during the climb."
Hottest can turn a simple comparison into a headline: the hottest day, the hottest trend, or the hottest ticket in town all suggest a peak in temperature, appeal, demand, or popularity.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hottest come from?
The word hot comes from Old English hāt and ultimately from a Germanic root associated with heat. Modern English forms such as heat, heated, heating, and heater belong to the same broader semantic family. Hottest is a regular superlative formed by adding -est to hot, with the historical change from a final stop to /t/ in words ending in -t represented in the modern pronunciation.
Related word forms
How hottest is actually used
The word is standard in both British and American English. Its figurative use is especially common in informal and promotional contexts, where it describes something that is currently highly popular, desirable, exciting, or in demand.
Easily confused with hottest
Hot means having a high temperature, while hottest is its superlative and identifies the highest temperature or the most popular, attractive, or exciting example in a group.