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

Investors closely watched Kevin Warsh’s turn in the hot seat before the Senate Banking Committee for signals on how he would act as Fed chair.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

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

From MarketWatch • Oct. 13, 2025

In May, Lineker held back tears as he signed off from his final edition of Match of the Day after 26 years in the hot seat and officially left the BBC.

From BBC • Aug. 8, 2025

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

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir