hot seat

American  

noun

Slang.

1. electric chair.

2. a highly uncomfortable or embarrassing situation.

   I'm in the hot seat because of the contract I lost.

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hot seat British  

noun

1. informal a precarious, difficult, or dangerous position

2. a slang term for electric chair

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Etymology

Origin of hot seat

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

WSJLI: You guys did a really fun social campaign with Ziwe, where the comedian known for putting celebrities in the hot seat was running a “Bad Boyfriend Bootcamp” with culture’s notoriously bad boyfriends.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

The last Bruins coach to survive that scenario was Ben Howland, who immediately entered the next season on the hot seat, his fate seemingly a fait accompli.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2026

Like his predecessor in the UUP hot seat Doug Beattie, he was a progressive leader.

From BBC • Jan. 2, 2026

Judging by the noise coming out of Hollywood, whoever ends up in the hot seat ought to be relieved not to be caught up in the Warner takeover battle.

From Barron's • Dec. 24, 2025

"She gets a promotion 'cause she was in the hot seat when the imagery came through?"

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir