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
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
Islands, long recognized as hotbeds of biological diversity, are just as much engines of linguistic diversity.
—
Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 21 Oct. 2024
The area of the city near Sycamore Drive, Mahogany Way, Peppertree Way and L Street has been a hotbed of violence.
—Hema Sivanandam, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024
London is a veritable hotbed of museums, galleries and cultural attractions, so exhibitions in the capital tend to get the Lion’s share of coverage.
—Lee Sharrock, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024
Already in Shasta County, a hotbed of far-right nonsense, these watchers have videotaped, followed and harassed county workers so much that 10 of 21 workers in the elections office have quit, according to CalMatters.
—Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hotbed 
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.
Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 21 Oct. 2024
The area of the city near Sycamore Drive, Mahogany Way, Peppertree Way and L Street has been a hotbed of violence.
—Hema Sivanandam, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024
London is a veritable hotbed of museums, galleries and cultural attractions, so exhibitions in the capital tend to get the Lion’s share of coverage.
—Lee Sharrock, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024
Already in Shasta County, a hotbed of far-right nonsense, these watchers have videotaped, followed and harassed county workers so much that 10 of 21 workers in the elections office have quit, according to CalMatters.
—Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hotbed
Dictionary Entries Near hotbed
Cite this Entry
“Hotbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hotbed. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share