hot-button

American  

[hot-buht-n] / ˈhɒtˈbʌt n /

adjective

1. exciting strong feelings; highly charged; emotional.

   hot-button issues.

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hot button British  

noun

1. informal

   1. a controversial subject or issue that is likely to arouse strong emotions

   2. ( as modifier )

      the hot-button issue of abortion

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Etymology

Origin of hot-button

First recorded in 1985–90

Example Sentences

On the hot-button topic of the impact of artificial intelligence, he’s worried about it when combined with some troubling market mechanics.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 18, 2026

That middle-of-the-road phrasing is a result of the rising perils of wading into hot-button issues in recent years.

From Barron's • Jan. 26, 2026

A chatbot collected opinions on hot-button political topics from people in the U.K. and aggregated users’ responses into a group statement that emphasized common ground.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026

Naturally, the couple segues into another disagreement, arguing about where to spend their upcoming vacation — a hot-button issue, since Joan’s cancer treatments are no longer working and time is suddenly precious.

From Salon • Nov. 27, 2025

“The ability to get radicalized, as well as the ability to actually gain the technical know-how, along with a hot-button anger-inducing social media landscape — this is the world we’re living in,” he added.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2025