hotting: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
RareVery informal, slang (chiefly British journalistic & colloquial)
Quick answer
What does “hotting” mean?
The act or practice of riding around in a stolen, high-performance car, typically in an aggressive or dangerous manner.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The act or practice of riding around in a stolen, high-performance car, typically in an aggressive or dangerous manner.
A social phenomenon, particularly in the UK, involving the theft and dangerous, competitive driving of cars, often accompanied by the posting of videos online.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term and the phenomenon are almost exclusively British. In American English, comparable activities might be referred to as 'street racing', 'joyriding', or 'carjacking', but 'hotting' is not a standard term.
Connotations
In the UK, it carries strong connotations of youth crime, urban disorder, and anti-social behaviour. It is often used in a pejorative context by media and police.
Frequency
Used occasionally in UK tabloid press and police reports. Extremely rare to non-existent in US English.
Grammar
How to Use “hotting” in a Sentence
[be/get involved in] hotting[a rise/crackdown on] hottingVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “hotting” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The hotting scene in the city has grown.
- A hotting video went viral.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Rarely used, possibly in criminology or sociology papers discussing UK youth culture and crime.
Everyday
Very low frequency. Might be used in UK communities affected by the phenomenon.
Technical
Used in UK police and legal contexts as a specific label for this type of offence.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “hotting”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “hotting”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “hotting”
- Using it to mean 'heating something up' (correct: 'heating').
- Assuming it is a common word in all English varieties.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not exactly. While it involves dangerous driving, 'hotting' specifically implies the cars are stolen, and the activity is often performed for social media clout, not just speed.
No, that is incorrect. The correct word for increasing temperature is 'heating'. 'Hotting' is a separate, slang noun with a specific criminal meaning.
For most learners, it is a very low-priority word. You are far more likely to encounter and need 'joyriding' or 'car theft'. It is useful mainly for understanding specific UK news reports.
The verb 'to hot' meaning 'to steal' is very old and rare slang. The activity is almost always referred to by the noun 'hotting'. You would say someone is 'involved in hotting', not that they 'hot cars'.
The act or practice of riding around in a stolen, high-performance car, typically in an aggressive or dangerous manner.
Hotting is usually very informal, slang (chiefly british journalistic & colloquial) in register.
Hotting: in British English it is pronounced /ˈhɒtɪŋ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “On a hotting spree”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'HOT car + ING activity' = the activity of stealing and driving hot cars.
Conceptual Metaphor
CRIME IS A GAME/SPECTACLE (e.g., 'showing off', 'posting videos').
Practice
Quiz
In which variety of English is the word 'hotting' primarily used?