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

But toward the end of the game, Minnesota forward Jaden McDaniels got into some hot water for a hard foul on the Thunder star. —Matt Levine, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 May 2025

Even tea and coffee bags release microplastics when immersed in hot water. —Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 21 May 2025

Rice papers Vegetables, such as carrots or scallions Spices of your choice Soak the rice paper in hot water, then roll in the tuna and seasoned vegetables. —Merve Ceylan, Health, 21 May 2025

Rinse the can opener well with hot water after washing, and dry it immediately with a clean dish towel. —Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 May 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