white water

noun

variants or whitewater

ˈ(h)wīt-ˌwȯ-tər 

-ˌwä-

: turbulent, frothy water (as in breakers, rapids, or falls)

… it's New England's toughest stretch of … white water, a maze of boulders and narrow channels.

—Michael D. Burke

… he chased whitewater in some of North America's most remote corners …

—Mark Bechtel

When seized by white water, the idea is to swim for the bottom (if you can tell which way that is), pray to stay relaxed and conserve your air …

—Kenny Moore

white water rafting

a whitewater outfitter

white-water paddlers

Examples of white water in a Sentence

The canoe got caught in white water.

Recent Examples on the Web

Offering accommodations—such as flex hours, noise-cancelling headphones or work-from-home options—without matching individuals to jobs that align with their core behavioral traits and cognitive strengths is like giving someone a life vest and then pushing them into white water rapids. —Miriam Groom, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025

Have any of the designers actually been white water rafting? —Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 22 July 2025

Imagine a marble bridge spanning from the Capitol to the City and County building in undulating waves like Colorado’s white water rapids. —The Denver Post Editorial Board, Denver Post, 14 July 2025

The formula is infused with a calming botanical blend of lotus, gardenia, and white water lily to soothe the skin throughout the day. —Jailynn Taylor, Allure, 3 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for white water

• annunciator
• imprimatur
• underwater
• backwater
• bathwater
• blackwater
• breakwater
• deepwater
• edgewater
• feedwater
• floodwater
• freshwater

Kids Definition

white water

noun

: rough foamy water (as in rapids or waterfalls)