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dishwater

American  
[dish-waw-ter, -wot-er] / ˈdɪʃˌwɔ tər, -ˌwɒt ər /

noun

  1. water in which dishes are, or have been, washed.

idioms

  1. dull as dishwater / ditchwater, extremely dull; boring.

dishwater British  
/ ˈdɪʃˌwɔːtə /

noun

  1. water in which dishes and kitchen utensils are or have been washed

  2. something resembling this

    that was dishwater, not coffee
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
dishwater More Idioms  

  1. see dull as dishwater.

Etymology

Origin of dishwater

First recorded in 1475–85; dish + water

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

With its slow pacing, shaky handheld cameras, dishwater cinematography and unnervingly extreme closeups, it feels more like an intense indie drama than a whimsical tale of a robber with a peculiar M.O.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 9, 2025

Poultry feathers littered the filthy floor, which was also dripping with animal blood and dirty dishwater.

From Salon • Jul. 19, 2023

From their desks, nearly 30 stories off the ground, they watched as the sky transformed from hazy, slate blue in the morning to dirty, dishwater gray at noon.

From New York Times • Jun. 29, 2023

University graduate Ms Espie launched a legal action against the restaurant chain after the accident while changing dishwater detergent in December 2019.

From BBC • May 21, 2023

Forgetting what she was talking about, she just stood there with her hands in the dishwater.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.