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

See Examples For:

hot water

Or skip the coffee and steep cinnamon stalks in hot water with lime.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026

France's main energy provider also shut down two nuclear reactors on Thursday as an environmental protection measure to avoid discharging too much hot water into already warming rivers.

From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 2026

Gas is used directly in millions of homes for heating and hot water; it was also used to generate about 27% of our electricity last year.

From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026

Geochemical testing of the stromatolites revealed signs of both extraterrestrial material and nearby bedrock, along with evidence that the structures were altered by hot water.

From Science Daily ● May 22, 2026

But they only had enough hot water for one squadron to leave.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein