hot seat

noun

1. an instrument of execution by electrocution; resembles an ordinary seat for one person

-

the murderer was sentenced to die in the chair

• Syn: ↑electric chair, ↑chair, ↑death chair

• Hypernyms: ↑instrument of execution

2. a difficult position where you are subjected to stress and criticism

• Hypernyms:

↑position, ↑post, ↑berth, ↑office, ↑spot, ↑billet, ↑place, ↑situation

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noun

1. slang : electric chair

2. : a position of uneasiness or embarrassment or anxiety : a position involving oppressive responsibility

on the hot seat, directing a half-million dollar gamble — Mark Stroock & Percy Knauth

kept Iran on a political hot seat — Armed Forces Talk

3. slang : an ejection seat in an airplane

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Slang.

1. See electric chair.

2. a highly uncomfortable or embarrassing situation: I'm in the hot seat because of the contract I lost.

[1915-20]

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hot seat noun

1. The electric chair (US sl)

2. Any uncomfortable or tricky situation (figurative)

3. A position of responsibility

• • •

Main Entry: ↑hot

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hot seat,

1. Informal. an uncomfortable situation or position; an unpleasant or difficult duty, office, or the like: »

If something is wrong, then I'll sit on the hot seat and take the responsibility (Wall Street Journal).

2. U.S. Slang. the electric chair.

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n. the hot seat informal

1) the position of a person who carries full responsibility for something, including facing criticism or being answerable for decisions or actions

it's been a bad week for the men in the hot seat

2) the electric chair

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noun

the hot seat

: the position of someone who is in trouble or is being asked many difficult or embarrassing questions

When the company ran into financial trouble, it was the accountant who found herself in the hot seat.

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the ˈhot seat [hot seat hot seats] noun singular (informal)

if sb is in the hot seat, they have to take responsibility for important or difficult decisions and actions