Phrase guide

water under the bridge

noun · 2 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

Something in the past that cannot be controlled or undone, but must be accepted, forgiven, or forgotten.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, uncountable

Examples

  • They agreed that their old disputes were water under the bridge and decided to make a fresh start.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: water over the dam

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

past events to be put aside

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • let bygones be bygones

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bygone

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: past, past times, yesteryear

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

18 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 過去的事 /过去的事 (guòqù de shì) — something in the past that cannot be controlled but must be accepted
  • Dutch: gedane zaken maken geen keer — something in the past that cannot be controlled but must be accepted
  • Finnish: mennyt — something in the past that cannot be controlled but must be accepted
  • Finnish: ollut ja mennyt — something in the past that cannot be controlled but must be accepted
  • French: histoire ancienne — something in the past that cannot be controlled but must be accepted
  • French: de l'eau a coulé sous les ponts — something in the past that cannot be controlled but must be accepted
  • German: Schnee von gestern — something in the past that cannot be controlled but must be accepted
  • Greek: ο γέγονε, γέγονε (o gégone, gégone) — something in the past that cannot be controlled but must be accepted
  • Greek: νερό κι αλάτι (neró ki aláti) — something in the past that cannot be controlled but must be accepted
  • Hungarian: sok víz lefolyt azóta a Dunán — something in the past that cannot be controlled but must be accepted
  • Japanese: 終わったこと (owatta koto) — something in the past that cannot be controlled but must be accepted
  • Norwegian Bokmål: snøen som falt i fjor — something in the past that cannot be controlled but must be accepted
  • Polish: po ptokach — something in the past that cannot be controlled but must be accepted
  • Polish: było, minęło — something in the past that cannot be controlled but must be accepted
  • Portuguese: águas passadas — something in the past that cannot be controlled but must be accepted
  • Portuguese: águas passadas não movem moinhos — something in the past that cannot be controlled but must be accepted
  • Russian: прошлогодний снег (prošlogodnij sneg) — something in the past that cannot be controlled but must be accepted
  • Spanish: agua pasada — something in the past that cannot be controlled but must be accepted