HOT WATER Definition & Meaning

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hot water

noun

Informal.

trouble; a predicament:
His skipping classes will get him into real hot water when exam time comes.

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of hot water¹

First recorded in 1530–40

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Idioms and Phrases

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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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Existing California law requires any building with a dwelling unit to maintain “certain characteristics in order to be tenantable,” which includes maintenance of adequate heating and hot water systems.

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But brands could find themselves in hot water for playing tricks on newspapers without letting them in on the joke.

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Using hot water bottles and electric blankets should work out cheaper than turning up the radiators.

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But this tact has landed her in hot water, not only with her opponents, but also in her home province of Alberta and with politicians who otherwise share her political leanings.

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"I'd started to get these really intense pins and needles in my hands. It was like throwing a snowball and then running your hands under hot water afterwards. It's really painful and hot."

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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