Synonyms

hot water

American

noun

Informal.

trouble; a predicament.

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

hot water Idioms

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.

Etymology

Origin of hot water

First recorded in 1530–40

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.

See Examples For:

hot water

Some brands opt to skip fermentation, which naturally produces alcohol, and instead mix ingredients such as herbs and spices in hot water before distilling the mixture.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

Scientists from ECU's School of Engineering found that magnetite can release hydrogen gas when it reacts with hot water under conditions similar to those deep below the Earth's surface.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 29, 2026

She says: "When you're in bed and your best friend is a hot water bottle - that's not normal."

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026

But the purchase of a new oven landed her in hot water.

From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026

There was already some hot water in the kettle, so I filled the hot-water bottle and put it under the blankets.

From "Z for Zachariah" by Robert C. O’Brien

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