hotbed
noun
Simple meaning
A situation that is ideal for rapid development.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
hahtbedSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈhɑtbɛd
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A situation that is ideal for rapid development (especially of something bad)
“It was a hotbed of vice.”
by extension
An environment that is ideal for the growth or development of something, especially of something undesirable.
A bed of earth covered with glass and heated by rotting manure to promote the growth of plants
An iron platform in a rolling mill, on which hot bars, rails, etc., are laid to cool.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C2 · Proficient (estimated)
- Frequency
- Rare
- Formality
- Technical
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A situation that is ideal for rapid development (especially of something bad)
Used this way, hotbed is a common word with a mildly favourable edge. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“It was a hotbed of vice.”
- Emotional tone
- Slightly positive
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Moderate
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Positive and appreciative
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Usage note
It most often appears in the pattern “hotbed of …”, which is worth copying when you use it.
Natural pattern: hotbed of …
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use hotbed
- “It was a hotbed of vice.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.