hot seat, in the

Idioms

In a position of extreme stress or discomfort, as when subjected to harsh criticism. For example, When merger negotiations broke down, he was in the hot seat with the stockholders. This expression extends hot seat in the sense of “the electric chair” (for effecting an execution) to wider use. [c. 1930]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

David, 65, said: "I had so many visits with Jill when she was going through it, and then two years later I found myself sitting in the hot seat in the same room, and she was there for me."

From BBC

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Amanda Peet, Zachary Quinto and Karamo Brown are in the hot seat in the first of three new episodes.

From Los Angeles Times

The job he will take later this month has been a hot seat in the world of highbrow journalism since Lewis H. Lapham stepped down as editor in 2006, after a 28-year run.

From New York Times

But you can bet that he’ll be in the hot seat in the coming weeks.

From New York Times

The pair traded breaks in a tight first session, but the serving cycle put Federer in the hot seat in the 11th game to remain in the set.

From The Guardian

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023