hotbed

noun

hot·​bed ˈhät-ˌbed 

1

: a bed of soil enclosed in glass, heated especially by fermenting manure, and used for forcing or for raising seedlings

2

: an environment that favors rapid growth or development

a hotbed of activity

Synonyms of hotbed

• center
• mecca
• nest

Examples of hotbed in a Sentence

a hotbed of political unrest

prerevolutionary Boston was viewed as a hotbed of treason by the British

Recent Examples on the Web

Go inside the football hotbed that leads Georgia’s 159 counties in prospects per capita. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 6 July 2026

Colonial coffeehouses served as a hotbed for brewing up plans for revolutionary acts. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 3 July 2026

However, Canada’s success at the World Cup could lead to even more interest in soccer in traditional hockey hotbeds. — Shelby Blackley, New York Times, 4 July 2026

Coventry was a hotbed of anti-monarchist sentiment, and Benajah's role during the American Revolution was to spread the word that the British were on the march. — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1626, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for hotbed

• abed
• ahead
• beachhead
• bedspread
• bedstead
• behead
• blackhead
• blockhead
• bloodshed
• bowhead
• breastfed
• bridgehead

Kids Definition

hotbed

noun

hot·​bed ˈhät-ˌbed 

1

: a heated bed of soil enclosed in glass and used for growing seedlings

2

: an environment that favors rapid growth or development

a hotbed of innovation