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

The hot water at the three compartment sink was measured below proper hot water temperatures. —Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado may 8, Sacbee.com, 8 May 2026

For Reykjavik native Gulla Jónsdóttir, the Aurora Borealis phenomena, molten-red erupting volcanoes, black sand shores and hot water grottoes were part of everyday life growing up. —Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 8 May 2026

Yep, Paul wound up in enough hot water that the season had to be pulled. —Selome Hailu, Variety, 8 May 2026

The district said a student poured hot water on a student, resulting in the burns. —Maven Navarro, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 May 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