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

Add one tablespoon of herbs to about 8 to 12 ounces of hot water.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

A French teenager was fined in Singapore Thursday after pleading guilty to a public nuisance charge for a straw-licking stunt that landed him in hot water in the city state.

From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026

The tremendous heat generated by each collision, combined with the planet's natural geothermal heat, likely drove hot water through the newly fractured crust.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 2, 2026

I went back to Anna’s for the last night, to share a cup of hot water and to sleep for a few hours.

From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff