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

Buildings need heat in the summer too, for domestic hot water, HVAC and absorption chillers. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 16 Aug. 2026

The truth, however, is there are ideal situations for mopping with cold and hot water. — Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 15 Aug. 2026

Staff in the South Stand offices would spend the winter months wearing jackets due to a broken boiler and, according to Bruce, only the players quickest to the dressing-room showers could expect to enjoy hot water after games. — Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026

Anyone who has felt the sharp barb of a stingray knows that scalding hot water is the treatment. — Michele Gile, CBS News, 14 Aug. 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