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

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

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

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

From MarketWatch • Oct. 13, 2025

The crackdown comes as the county has once again found itself in the hot seat with state regulators.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 9, 2025

I felt like I was in the hot seat, no pun intended.

From "The First Rule of Punk" by Celia C. Pérez