hot sauce: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B1Informal, everyday, culinary.
Quick answer
What does “hot sauce” mean?
A spicy condiment made from chili peppers, vinegar, and other ingredients, used to add heat and flavour to food.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A spicy condiment made from chili peppers, vinegar, and other ingredients, used to add heat and flavour to food.
Can refer to any intensely spicy condiment; metaphorically, can signify something that adds excitement, intensity, or 'spice' to a situation.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is used in both varieties. In the UK, 'chilli sauce' is a common synonym. In the US, 'hot sauce' is the dominant term for a liquid, vinegar-based pepper condiment.
Connotations
In the US, strongly associated with Southern, Cajun, Mexican, and Asian cuisines. In the UK, often associated with global cuisines and 'heat' rather than a specific culinary tradition.
Frequency
More frequent in American English due to its centrality in certain regional cuisines. Common in UK English, but 'chilli sauce' may be equally or more frequent.
Grammar
How to Use “hot sauce” in a Sentence
[add/put/splash] hot sauce [on/to] [food][food] [with/contains] hot sauce[prefer/like] [food] with hot sauceVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “hot sauce” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- He loves to hot sauce his chips, but I find it too fiery.
- I wouldn't hot sauce that delicate soup.
American English
- She hot sauces everything, even her pizza.
- Go ahead and hot sauce your wings if you dare.
adverb
British English
- (Rare/Non-standard) He ate the noodles hot-sauce-ly, tears in his eyes.
American English
- (Rare/Non-standard) She cooked hot-sauce-style, meaning everything was spicy.
adjective
British English
- He's got a hot-sauce addiction, he carries a bottle everywhere.
- The hot-sauce challenge was painfully intense.
American English
- This is a hot-sauce culture, with dozens of local varieties.
- They entered a hot-sauce competition.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, except in food industry contexts (e.g., 'hot sauce market', 'hot sauce brand').
Academic
Rare, except in culinary history or food science studies.
Everyday
Very common in discussions about food, cooking, and dining.
Technical
Used in recipes and food labelling; specific types (e.g., 'fermented hot sauce') have technical preparation methods.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “hot sauce”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “hot sauce”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “hot sauce”
- Using 'hot sauce' to refer to a warm gravy or béchamel (temperature error).
- Using it as a countable noun inappropriately (e.g., 'I want a hot sauce' instead of 'some hot sauce').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
They are very similar and often used interchangeably. Typically, 'hot sauce' implies a thinner, vinegar-based liquid (like Tabasco), while 'chilli sauce' can be thicker (like Sriracha), but the distinction is not strict.
Yes, informally, especially in American English. It means to add hot sauce to something (e.g., 'He hot sauced his taco'). It's considered casual and colloquial.
The term is understood in both, but 'chilli sauce' is a more frequent synonym in the UK. In the US, 'hot sauce' is the default term for a liquid pepper condiment and has stronger cultural associations with specific cuisines.
Yes, when referring to multiple types or brands. For example, 'The store sells over fifty different hot sauces.' When referring to the substance generally, it's uncountable ('I like hot sauce').
A spicy condiment made from chili peppers, vinegar, and other ingredients, used to add heat and flavour to food.
Hot sauce is usually informal, everyday, culinary. in register.
Hot sauce: in British English it is pronounced /ˌhɒt ˈsɔːs/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌhɑːt ˈsɔːs/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[to be] someone's hot sauce (slang: to be their favourite/interest)”
- “bring the hot sauce (to add excitement/intensity)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a sauce bottle with flames coming out of it. HOT sauce = FIRE in a bottle for your food.
Conceptual Metaphor
INTENSITY/EXCITEMENT IS HEAT/SPICINESS (e.g., 'Their new album is pure hot sauce').
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the term 'hot sauce' LEAST likely to be used?