hotshot
noun
hot·shot
ˈhät-ˌshät 
plural hotshots
1
: a talented or successful person who often has a showy or flashy manner
There are, of course, people here who believe that most Washington hotshots, journalistic as well as governmental, are fatly overpaid already …—
Meg Greenfield
Meg Greenfield… some young hotshots are leaving mutual funds … to set up hedge funds at a rate of more than one a day.—Mitchell Pacelle
—often used before another nounMitchell Pacellea hotshot actor
These days, the only teasing that Leinart gets is from friends who tell him that he doesn't take advantage of being a hotshot college quarterback.—Phil Taylor
Phil Taylor2
: a person trained to fight forest fires especially in remote areas
As a hotshot, his job was to rappel from helicopters into wildfires across the country.—Anton L. Delgado and Dustin Patar
—often used before another nounAnton L. Delgado and Dustin Patar[Firefighter Zachary] Resnick said his hotshot crew used to get a break fighting wildfires from late November to late spring. Now, they're on duty nearly year-round.—Lilia Luciano
Lilia Luciano3
: a fast freight train
First is a hotshot, LADAF, an automobile and trailer train from Los Angeles to Dallas ("F" stands for Forwarder). Its route through Texas is roundabout, so LADAF has to really move, and move it does …—Fred W. Frailey
Fred W. FraileySynonyms
Examples of hotshot in a Sentence
The company has hired a couple of young hotshots to revamp its advertising campaign.
That guy thinks he's a real hotshot.
Recent Examples on the Web
More than $265,000 has been raised so far for the firefighters injured when their truck overturned on an Orange County toll road last week, with contributions from Southern California hotshot crews, firefighter and police unions and others.
—Mona Darwish, Orange County Register, 24 Sep. 2024
California Containment, hotshots, evacuation orders: Understanding key wildfire terms
Sept. 12, 2024
Dry brush and vegetation have also helped fuel erratic fire behavior, with flames quickly spreading and at times changing direction.
—Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2024
Two engines, a hotshot crew and a helicopter were sent to battle the blaze, but due to the rugged terrain, ground teams have been unable to access the fire.
—Karen Bartunek, The Arizona Republic, 11 Sep. 2024
Visitors to the park can follow the hotshots' final steps and pay homage to them.
—Shelby Slade, The Arizona Republic, 18 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for hotshot 
Mona Darwish, Orange County Register, 24 Sep. 2024
California Containment, hotshots, evacuation orders: Understanding key wildfire terms
Sept. 12, 2024
Dry brush and vegetation have also helped fuel erratic fire behavior, with flames quickly spreading and at times changing direction.
—Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2024
Two engines, a hotshot crew and a helicopter were sent to battle the blaze, but due to the rugged terrain, ground teams have been unable to access the fire.
—Karen Bartunek, The Arizona Republic, 11 Sep. 2024
Visitors to the park can follow the hotshots' final steps and pay homage to them.
—Shelby Slade, The Arizona Republic, 18 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for hotshot
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hotshot.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near hotshot
Cite this Entry
“Hotshot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hotshot. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hotshot
noun
hot·shot
ˈhät-ˌshät
: a showily skillful person
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