hot water

noun

Synonyms of hot waternext
: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The three compartment sink had no hot water. Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado may 1, Sacbee.com, 1 May 2026 Flush the sink with hot water after use. Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2026 The restaurant was closed due to a wastewater backup underneath the sinks, as well as no available hot water service in the building. Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Apr. 2026 In some cases, washing white clothes in hot water can help remove stains and maintain brightness. Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 28 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hot water

Word History

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hot water was in 1840

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hot water.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hot%20water. Accessed 3 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

hot water

noun
: a distressing situation : trouble
in hot water for not doing my chores

More from Merriam-Webster on hot water

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster