In hot water
Suggest a CorrectionMeaning
In trouble or a difficult situation, often due to one's own actions, facing consequences with a sense of being scalded or trapped. It evokes discomfort.
Origin
From 16th-century England, tied to punishment or combat; boiling water was poured on attackers from castle walls, leaving them 'in hot water. ' A 1537 text uses it for peril, and by the 18th century, it shifted to everyday trouble, as in a 1765 diary entry about a scolded child.
Variants
- In the hot water
Usage Examples
- He's in hot water for missing the deadline.
- She landed in hot water after forgetting the meeting.
- Lying to the boss put him in hot water fast.
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