hot seat
The term "hot seat" originates from the electric chair but has evolved to describe various stressful or high-pressure situations.
Definition
B2General
(informal)A situation where someone is under intense scrutiny or pressure.
Example
- During the meeting, the manager was in the hot seat, facing tough questions from the board.
B1Game Shows
(informal)The position of a contestant who is answering questions alone.
Example
- The contestant in the hot seat had to answer the final question to win the grand prize.
B2Video Games
(technical)A multiplayer mode where players take turns playing the game.
Example
- In the hot seat mode, each player takes a turn to make their move.
C1Capital Punishment
(slang, historical)A term for the electric chair used for executions.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "hot seat":
jump seatfront seatbox seathot beddriver's seatback seattake a seatwindow seatempty chairseating timebaby seathot buttonhave a seatbitch seathot stovesit undersit insafety seathot ticketshooting seathot cornerin the driver's seathot tophot potatomercy seatringside seatchild seat