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

A squirt of dish soap, a cup of hot water, a few pulses to loosen the worst of it—then a quick pass with a brush.

From Salon

The company has previously gotten into hot water with the UK advertising watchdog, which has banned adverts for its making "misleading" claims.

From BBC

Theo, with whom I have never had a conversation about matters more pressing than which of our fellow boarders hogged all the hot water.

From Literature

Unlike consumers who use gas and electricity for heating and hot water, whose prices are capped until the end of June, those using oil are not regulated by Ofgem.

From BBC

Unlike consumers who use gas and electricity for heating and hot water, prices for households using heating oil are not capped by regulator Ofgem.

From BBC