hot water

noun

: a difficult or dangerous situation : trouble entry 1 sense 4

—used with in or into

But this poor fellow was always getting into hot water, and if there was a wrong way of doing a thing, was sure to hit upon it.

—Richard Henry Dana, Jr.

In recent years, comedians have found themselves in hot water for making politically incorrect topics about everything from race to gender.

—James Hohmann

Examples of hot water in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

From fines to seizures When landlords refuse to address a serious violation, like heat or hot water outages, the city can step in and order repairs, then bill the owner directly. —Jake Offenhartz, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026

When landlords refuse to address a serious violation, like heat or hot water outages, the city can step in and order repairs, then bill the owner directly. —ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026

Here magma, thin crust, and high-heat flow allow for easy access to underground steam or hot water. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026

Flush the drain with hot water before and after to loosen grease or buildup. —Shagun Khare, The Spruce, 1 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for hot water

• backwater
• bathwater
• blackwater
• breakwater
• deepwater
• edgewater
• feedwater
• floodwater
• freshwater
• granddaughter
• groundwater
• headwater

Kids Definition

hot water

noun

: a distressing situation : trouble

in hot water for not doing my chores