in the hot seat

Cultural  

1. In an uncomfortable or embarrassing situation, usually by being subjected to severe criticism: “When the settlement talks broke down, he was in the hot seat with both management and labor.” The phrase is an extension of “hot seat,” slang for the electric chair.

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in the hot seat Idioms  

1. see hot seat.

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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

OpenAI’s new short-form video app is putting Meta Platforms Inc. in the hot seat.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 13, 2025

Lineker signed off from his final edition of Match of the Day in May after 26 years in the hot seat.

From BBC • Jul. 15, 2025

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

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir