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

Cue the violins, because after Jerome Powell’s swan song Fed rate meeting, it’s his final two weeks in the hot seat.

From Barron's • May 4, 2026

Few are like Cliffwater, which until recently was an investor darling but now finds itself in the hot seat.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

In fact, the supermodel turned media personality wasn’t invited to take the hot seat until well after production on the docuseries began, said Daniel Sivan, who co-directed “Reality Check” with his wife, Mor Loushy.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2026

Finch, who sat in BBC CWR's hot seat on Friday, said he wrote the letter to get the "best deal" for vulnerable children.

From BBC • Nov. 7, 2025

“Styx has been to the Children’s Museum ten times,” I reported, hoping to get him off the hot seat.

From "The Season of Styx Malone" by Kekla Magoon