hot water en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Meanings
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(figuratively, idiomatic, uncountable) A dangerous situation; trouble.
Both students are in hot water from fighting.
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(figuratively, idiomatic, uncountable) Fierce criticism.
I once got myself in a bit of hot water by saying a couple of individuals in a key management/leadership role lacked competency for a senior role in the running of the railway.
2025 November 12, Ian Prosser, “High maintenance levels”, in RAIL, number 1048, page 15:The government's new proposal has landed them in hot water.
Zuckerberg got into hot water on Wednesday when he stated that Facebook wouldn’t necessarily remove Holocaust deniers from its platform because people “get things wrong” and because it’s not always possible to understand the deniers’ intent.
2018 July 20, Johannes Breit, “We Banned Holocaust Deniers From Our History Subreddit. Here’s Why Facebook Should Do the Same.”, in Slate Magazine:
- (uncountable) Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see hot, water.
Relateds
Translations (37)
sv hett om öronen (dangerous situation, trouble) · gl en augas turbulentas (dangerous situation, trouble) · cmn 湯 /汤 (hot water) · ta சுடுதண்ணீர் (hot water) · sv vatten över huvudet (dangerous situation, trouble) · gl en problemas (dangerous situation, trouble) · de Probleme (dangerous situation, trouble) · grc ἀνία (dangerous situation, trouble) · de Warmwasser (hot water) · pl gorąca woda (hot water) · ta சுடுநீர் (hot water) · ca problema (dangerous situation, trouble) · fi kuuma vesi (hot water) · de scharfe Kritik (fierce criticism) · pl ostra krytyka (fierce criticism) · la difficultas (dangerous situation, trouble) · de Schwierigkeiten (dangerous situation, trouble) · de in Teufels Küche (dangerous situation, trouble) · nb varmtvann (hot water) · ja 湯 (hot water) · cmn 熱水 /热水 (hot water) · it guaio (dangerous situation, trouble) · fr eau chaude (hot water) · pl kłopot (dangerous situation, trouble) · ta வெந்நீர் (hot water) · pt problema (dangerous situation, trouble) · pl problem (dangerous situation, trouble) · ru горя́чая вода́ (hot water) · gl ser posto a caldo (dangerous situation, trouble) · fi lämmin vesi (hot water) · sv varmvatten (hot water) · fr peine (dangerous situation, trouble) · fi liri (dangerous situation, trouble) · de Heißwasser (hot water) · es problema (dangerous situation, trouble) · gl en augas tormentosas (dangerous situation, trouble) · fi kuraa niskaan (fierce criticism)