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

Showers produced dangerously inconsistent water temperatures—some scalding hot at 140 degrees, others without any hot water at all. —Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025

They can be steeped in hot water and then removed before drinking. —Lana Barhum, Verywell Health, 8 Sep. 2025

Then wash a load of towels in the washing machine with hot water and your usual detergent. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 8 Sep. 2025

Philadelphia Eagles defensive star Jalen Carter landed in hot water with the NFL following his early ejection from Thursday's game. —Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025

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