hot water

noun

: a difficult or dangerous situation : trouble entry 1 sense 4
used with in or into
But this poor fellow was always getting into hot water, and if there was a wrong way of doing a thing, was sure to hit upon it.Richard Henry Dana, Jr.
In recent years, comedians have found themselves in hot water for making politically incorrect topics about everything from race to gender.James Hohmann

Examples of hot water in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Jon Hamm is literally and figuratively in hot water! Stephanie Wenger, People.com, 10 Apr. 2025 Inspectors observed standing water in the employee break room and issues with hot water in handwashing sinks. Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Apr. 2025 Rinse the reservoir with hot water to help dissolve any crystallized sugar. Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 10 Apr. 2025 The series has been airing for three days, but this is the second time Rourke has landed himself in hot water online after he was criticized for his behavior toward TV host AJ Odudu. Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hot water

Word History

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hot water was in 1840

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hot water.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hot%20water. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

hot water

noun
: a distressing situation : trouble
in hot water for not doing my chores

More from Merriam-Webster on hot water

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