in hot water
Due for punishment
In hot water means in trouble or facing consequences for one's actions.
The metaphor suggests the discomfort of being plunged into scalding water: He's in hot water with his boss after missing the deadline.
To get into hot water is to create problems for oneself; to land someone in hot water is to cause trouble for them.
- troubleDifficulty or distress
- deep troubleSevere difficulty or danger
- boilingLiquid vaporization temperature
- boiling pointVaporization threshold
- steamHeated water's gaseous form
mess · predicament · tight spot · scalding · bath · kettle · sticky · pickle · jam · in a bind · bubbling · sweat · heat · danger · under fire · scrape · on thin ice · bind
- temperature idiomscold shoulder, cold feet, cool as a cucumber, cold turkey, warm welcome
- idiomstime flies, hit the sack, seize the day, ring a bell, break a leg
- predicamentspredicament, dilemma, bind, pickle, pinch
- fire idiomsplay with fire, fight fire with fire, fan the flames, add fuel to fire, on fire
- conflictclash, fight, war, battle, dispute
- Precariousnessprecarious, unstable, teetering, tottering, wobbly
in hot wateroff the hook
Released from responsibility
in the clear · scot-free · home free · out of the woods · free and clear
in hot waterin favor
on good terms · well-regarded · teacher's pet · in good standing · golden
hot, water, hotter, hottest, hotly, hotness, waters, watery, watered