This is the 11809th most frequent Russian word.
заложниках
"Hostages."
The word 'заложниках' is used metaphorically here to describe being controlled or limited by overwhelming circumstances.
Мы оказались в заложниках обстоятельств.
We found ourselves held hostage by circumstances.
In this sentence, 'заложниках' describes the literal act of criminals holding people against their will as hostages.
Преступники держат людей в заложниках.
The criminals are holding people as hostages.
Here, 'заложниках' is metaphorically used to illustrate a situation where someone feels trapped or overwhelmed by their own emotions.