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. FraileyExamples 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
But hotshot crews are assigned to the toughest parts of a fireline, and sometimes have to hike the farthest, or do the most grueling labor, tackle kind of the most dangerous assignment.
—Meredith Wolf Schizer, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025
Aoki had turned fifty that season and was widely considered the most experienced hotshot in California—a state that claims the most skilled firefighters globally.
—Jordan Thomas
may 28, Literary Hub, 28 May 2025
From co-creators Powell and Michael Waldron, the half-hour comedy follows hotshot QB Russ Holliday (Powell), whose bad behavior nukes his college career.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 13 May 2025
But he's also got a hotshot attorney from Los Angeles on his side in an unofficial capacity – and prosecutors don't like it.
—Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hotshot
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Meredith Wolf Schizer, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025
Aoki had turned fifty that season and was widely considered the most experienced hotshot in California—a state that claims the most skilled firefighters globally.
—Jordan Thomas
may 28, Literary Hub, 28 May 2025
From co-creators Powell and Michael Waldron, the half-hour comedy follows hotshot QB Russ Holliday (Powell), whose bad behavior nukes his college career.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 13 May 2025
But he's also got a hotshot attorney from Los Angeles on his side in an unofficial capacity – and prosecutors don't like it.
—Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hotshot
Cite this Entry
“Hotshot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hotshot. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hotshot
noun
hot·shot
ˈhät-ˌshät
: a showily skillful person
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share