hot seat
22
4.6
- noun
- /hɑt sit/
- Informal
:
punto de mira
- Austin, during your time in the hot seat, you lied.
- Coaches on the hot seat
- man in the hot seat
- hot seat today
Austin, during your time in the hot seat, you lied.
- Austin, during your time in the hot seat, you lied.
- But I did know that I didn't want Labour in the hot seat and sadly that's where we are now.
- Each one of us has been put in the hot seat at one point or another being like, hey, man, XYZ doesn't work for the other two of us, you know, so it's very healthy.
- We run our group like with opportunity time, floor time and you sit in the hot seat and if he gets a live lead, he hands it over to you.
- And then boom, she puts me on the hot seat and talking about racism.
Examples
-
Tedford being on the hot seat has nothing to do with fan expectations.
Blog text (25) -
One of them sat in the hot seat and got talked to for days.
-
OK, so who wants to be in the hot seat first?
-
Not everybody can sit in that hot seat for long.
-
I am in the hot seat.
-
Coach Royal is on the hot seat.
-
And both sides kept Kennedy and the agency in the hot seat for more than a year.
Blog text (3) -
We've all had our turn in that particular hot seat.
Academic text (2011) -
For example, your boss may be on the hot seat with her boss or on edge about an impending reorganization.
Blog text (3) -
During the scandal, the CEO found himself in the hot seat as the board demanded explanations.
Synonyms
11
5.3
A situation where someone risks being harmed or strongly criticized
8
8.2
People are looking closely at and criticizing a person or thing
1
7.6
In a position where people may blame or criticize you
1
5.7
A position where a person faces strong criticism
A situation that feels tense and stressful and needs careful handling
Antonyms
How Pressured
37
3.9
- Informal
22
4.6
∞
3.1
14
4.6
183
4.4
1
9.9
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning can be inferred by mapping 'hot' metaphorically to pressure or scrutiny and 'seat' to a position or office, so a learner who knows both words can plausibly guess 'a position under intense pressure.' However, the sense is a metaphorical extension (and could be misread as a physically hot chair), so it is not fully predictable without prior exposure.
Etymology
Hot seat is also used for a position where someone is under strong pressure or criticism; imagine sitting on a very hot seat — you feel uncomfortable and exposed, so the phrase means 'a position under strong pressure or criticism'.