hot water

American  

noun

Informal.

1. trouble; a predicament.

   His skipping classes will get him into real hot water when exam time comes.

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hot water Idioms  

1. Trouble or difficulty, as in She's deep in political hot water, or We got in hot water over the car deal, or He's finally paid his tuition and is out of hot water with the school. This metaphoric term alludes to water hot enough to burn one. [First half of 1500s] Also see in trouble with.

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Etymology

Origin of hot water

First recorded in 1530–40

Example Sentences

And because I had already used my good stock earlier in the week for pastina, I improvised with bouillon cubes dissolved in hot water and zhushed up with a little white miso and garlic powder.

From Salon • May 12, 2026

Eleven establishments were closed from April 16 to 23, nine for rodent or cockroach infestations, one for insufficient hot water and one for unapproved remodeling.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2026

Were Vrabel the CEO of a publicly traded widget factory, he might be in hot water with his board, no matter how many widgets he sold.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

Deep geothermal energy involves extracting hot water from depths of 1,000 to 2,000 metres, where its temperature ranges from 80C to 150C.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

Tao practically throws the ill-fortuned carrots into the pot, ignoring the hot water that splashes when he does.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray