Phrase guide

hot water

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A dangerous situation; trouble.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, idiomatic, uncountable

Examples

  • Both students are in hot water from fighting.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Fierce criticism.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, idiomatic, uncountable

Examples

  • The government's new proposal has landed them in hot water.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see hot, water.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a dangerous or distressing predicament

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • his views on race got him into political hot water

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: predicament, quandary, plight

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

33 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: problema — dangerous situation, trouble
  • Finnish: liri — dangerous situation, trouble
  • French: peine — dangerous situation, trouble
  • Galician: en augas turbulentas — dangerous situation, trouble
  • Galician: en augas tormentosas — dangerous situation, trouble
  • Galician: en problemas — dangerous situation, trouble
  • Galician: ser posto a caldo — dangerous situation, trouble
  • German: in Teufels Küche — dangerous situation, trouble
  • German: Probleme — dangerous situation, trouble
  • German: Schwierigkeiten — dangerous situation, trouble
  • Ancient Greek: ἀνία (anía) — dangerous situation, trouble
  • Italian: guaio — dangerous situation, trouble
  • Latin: difficultas — dangerous situation, trouble
  • Portuguese: problema — dangerous situation, trouble
  • Spanish: problema — dangerous situation, trouble
  • Swedish: hett om öronen — dangerous situation, trouble
  • Swedish: vatten över huvudet — dangerous situation, trouble
  • Finnish: kuraa niskaan — fierce criticism
  • German: scharfe Kritik — fierce criticism
  • Chinese Mandarin: 湯 /汤 (tāng) — hot water
  • Chinese Mandarin: 熱水 /热水 (rèshuǐ) — hot water
  • Finnish: kuuma vesi — hot water
  • Finnish: lämmin vesi — hot water
  • French: eau chaude — hot water
  • German: Heißwasser — hot water
  • German: Warmwasser — hot water
  • Japanese: 湯 (yu) — hot water
  • Norwegian Bokmål: varmtvann — hot water
  • Russian: горя́чая вода́ (gorjáčaja vodá) — hot water
  • Swedish: varmvatten — hot water
  • Tamil: வெந்நீர் (vennīr) — hot water
  • Tamil: சுடுதண்ணீர் (cuṭutaṇṇīr) — hot water
  • Tamil: சுடுநீர் (cuṭunīr) — hot water