Idioms with word water

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“Water water everywhere, not a drop to drink” is an excerpt from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (1934). It just goes to show how water inspires creative writing. Here, you’ll see how water features in some of the best-known English idioms too. This list of water idioms ranges from hot water expressions to ways of describing the weather.

We’ve covered popular phrases like water under the bridge and in hot water, as well as plenty of lesser-known idioms to help expand your vocabulary. All feature full definitions and example sentences.

So, get your umbrella ready, and let’s get started.

A tall glass of water

Who would have thought a tall glass of water would end up on this water idioms list?! When used in a normal sentence, of course, it’s just referring to water in a glass. As an idiom, it’s used to call someone attractive and irresistible; normally a good-looking, slender, tall person.

“That man is like a tall glass of water.”

Blood is thicker than water

This very popular saying is actually more of a proverb. Blood is thicker than water highlights the idea that loyalty and family bonds are the strongest and should be prioritized over any other relationships.

“When you’re making this decision, just remember that blood is thicker than water.”

This saying is one of many family idioms you may hear.

Come in, the water’s fine

When you’re swimming and invite your friends to come on in, the water’s fine, you’re simply inviting them to swim with you. As a water idiom, though, it’s a way of welcoming someone to a situation or place where they may feel shy or uncomfortable.

“I’m so glad you came to my party. Come in, the water’s fine. I’ll introduce you to some new people.”

Come hell or high water

If you want to really exaggerate the fact that nothing will stop you, no matter what difficulties may potentially stand in your way, you can say that you will do or achieve that thing come hell or high water.

“Mum said that come hell or high water, she’ll make it to the wedding.”

Discover some more idioms about bad things happening and how to overcome them.

Hold water

Be careful with this water idiom, because it can mean to stop yourself from urinating!

“We’re five minutes away from the next rest stop. You’ll have to hold water until then.”

However, to hold water more commonly means to stand up to scrutiny or appear to be true and verifiable. This phrase is used to describe stories, arguments, reasoning and legal cases, and it’s most often used in negative constructions.

“I don’t think the lawyer’s case holds much water.”
“Let’s check to see if this argument holds water.”
“What you’re saying just doesn’t hold water to me.”

If you can imagine a bucket or other container full of holes, leaking water everywhere, you might be able to better understand the meaning of something holding water (or not!).

Dead in the water

A ship can physically be dead in the water, meaning it is unable to move anywhere, but this expression can also be applied to a situation. It could be anything that has stalled and isn’t moving forward.

“I think the company’s new relocation plan is dead in the water.”

Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater

This may be one of the most confusing water idioms there is. It should go without saying that you don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater! What it actually means is that you shouldn’t get rid of something of value when disposing of other items that are not wanted.

“Ok, so you burnt some of the dinner, but let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater. We can save some of it.”

Finding out where these sayings come from is half the fun.

Feel like a fish out of water

A fish in water is at ease. It’s in a completely suitable environment and situation. Now imagine how that fish would feel if removed from water… and that is where this saying comes from.

To feel (or look) like a fish out of water is to feel awkward, panicked or uneasy due to being in an unsuitable or unfamiliar situation.

“Honestly, this new system makes me feel like a fish out of water.”
“Jason looked like a fish out of water at that party last night.”

We have a lot of fishing idioms in English, and many of them are light-hearted and fun to use.

In deep water

If you can’t swim and find yourself in deep water, you’re in trouble. As a figurative expression, this is just a way of describing being in trouble or an awkward situation.

“They are going to be in deep water when their teacher finds out the truth.”

Although this is a saying in its own right, you’ll more likely hear the next phrase – to be in hot water – meaning almost the same thing.

In hot water

There are not many hot water idioms, but this one is used a lot in English. Unfortunately, to be in hot water is not a good thing. It means that you are going to get into – or perhaps already are in – a situation involving trouble, difficulty or disgrace.

“I think she’s going to get in hot water over this.”

Keep your head above water

Normally you would use this phrase in relation to money, but it could relate to any period of difficulty or hardship. To keep your head above water means you are only just surviving a situation, for example having money problems.

“We struggling at the moment to keep our head above the water.”

We have more idioms to describe finances – whether good or bad – in a separate article.

Like water off a duck’s back

Ducks love the rain, so no wonder this is a popular wet idiom. A duck’s feathers are naturally water-resistant thanks to the oil that coats them. So, when they get wet, the water just rolls down the feathers and off the duck’s back.

Now, imagine yourself behaving in this way when you hear a hurtful remark or criticism. You can either choose to take it to heart and let it upset you, or you can choose to ignore it and not let it affect you, just like water off a duck’s back.

“Honestly, I’m not bothered about what was said yesterday. It’s just water off a duck’s back to me.”

Like a duck to water

Yet another duck is featured in our list of water idioms! This time, it’s describing how effortlessly you pick up a new activity – just like a duck swimming in water. We can use the expression like a duck to water alone, or use the longer version: take to (an activity) like a duck to water.

“He did so well at his first dance lesson. Like a duck to water.”
“Eliza took to basketball like a duck to water.”

Another duck-related idiom you may hear is ‘nice weather for ducks’. You can check our list of rain idioms to find out what this means.

Spend money like water

This informal simile is talking about people who spend a lot of money without worrying about it. They don’t spend it wisely, maybe acting like it has no real value to them, which is why we say they spend their money like water.

“Your spening is out of control. You spend money like water.”

Still waters run deep

This interesting phrase, still waters run deep, is used to describe a person who is quiet or shy. Perhaps you know little about them and they are hard to get to know, but they surprise you by having some deep feelings, high intelligence or interesting things to say when they do talk.

“I really enjoyed chatting with Mia yesterday. Talk about still waters running deep.”

Test the water(s)

It would be good practice to test the water before making a big personal or business decision. This just means that you get a measure of the situation, or gauge people’s feelings and opinions, before taking further steps.

“Let’s just test the waters and see what the team think.”

A similar saying is to dip your toe in the water. This time it’s you getting an idea of whether you like something by trying it a little before committing (as opposed to you finding out someone else’s thoughts when testing the water.)

To blow something/someone out of the water

Sometimes these water idioms can really be used to exaggerate a point. Instead of saying you beat someone or achieved a goal, say that you blew them/it out of the water.

“Come on guys, let’s blow these sales targets out of the water.”
“Great work, team! We blew those guys out of the water.”

To be like oil and water

These two substances don’t naturally mix. So when you say that two people are like oil and water, you are saying they don’t get along well or are very different from each other.

“I can’t believe they are siblings. They are like oil and water.”

A similar expression is like chalk and cheese – another useful idiom about relationships.

To muddy the waters

There may be plenty of hot water idioms and wet idioms, but this one is about making something unclear like muddy water. If someone is said to muddy the waters, they are making a situation harder to understand or complicating it for no good reason.

“Don’t muddy the waters; you aren’t helping the situation.”

A variation of this would be to say that something is as clear as mud, meaning that it is not at all clear to you.

Troubled waters

Another water idiom with a negative meaning; troubled waters refers to a chaotic state of affairs or difficult times.

“The company is really in troubled waters at the moment.”
“I think Julie and Ollie are in troubled waters with their relationship.”

Uncharted waters

This is another expression that has both a literal and figurative meaning. A ship is said to be in uncharted waters when it is in an area that has never been mapped before.

Figuratively, this applies when you are facing uncertainty in an unfamiliar situation or place.

“Right guys, this has never happened before so we’re in uncharted waters, but I’m sure we can work it out.”

Another term similar to this would be unfamiliar waters.

Water something down

When you water something down, you make it weaker or lesser in comparison to its original self.

“I think the movie is a watered-down version of the book.”
“I know you’re passionate about this, but try to water your email down a bit so it doesn’t cause offence.”

This expression can also apply literally to diluting a drink or other solution by adding water.

Water under the bridge

This is perhaps one of the best-known water-related sayings in English; you may have heard it used in songs and in everyday conversation. It’s a great idiom to talk about the past.

If something negative happened some time ago but you have moved on and no longer regard it as a problem, you can say it is water under the bridge. This usually applies to something that happened between two people that caused tension or bad feelings for a while, but now all is forgiven.

“There’s no need to mention it again. Honestly, it’s water under the bridge.”

You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink

Although it’s on our list of water idioms, this phrase is more of a proverb. It’s still in everyday use, but you may hear an amended version such as ‘You know what they say about a horse and water!’

The full version, you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink, illustrates that you can give someone an opportunity or something beneficial to their life, but you can’t force them to accept it.

“I told James about the new job openings and even printed out his resume, but he still hasn’t applied. I guess you can lead a horse to water…”

Wet behind the ears

Here are a few fun wet idioms. To be wet behind the ears means you are naive, new to a job, inexperienced, or perhaps even young and immature.

“Don’t mind the new secretary. He’s a bit wet behind the ears, but he’ll soon learn.”

Wet Blanket

When it’s time for a party, don’t be a wet blanket. That’s the person who is boring or miserable. They bring down the fun mood of the party and reduce everyone else’s enjoyment.

“Please don’t invite Margo. She’s a real wet blanket.”

To make sure you get an invite to the next social gathering, check out these party idioms.

Wet your whistle

Perhaps one of the stranger wet idioms, to wet your whistle is to have an alcoholic drink or quench your thirst.

“Come on, wet your whistle.”

A similar phrase is to whet your appetite, which is to sharpen your appetite. ‘Sharpen’ in this case means to encourage or incite. And yes, the spelling is ‘whet’ and not ‘wet’, as it is from a Germanic word meaning to sharpen, as you would when you whet a knife.

Think about it this way: wet food would not be appetizing!

Wet through

When you are wet through you are extremely wet, usually from a downpour of rain (find more ways to describe rain here). Use this expression when all your clothes are wet, right down to your skin, shoes, and even socks!

“We got caught in the rain and came home wet through.”

If you have enjoyed these water idioms, why not take a look at some idioms about nature next?

We hope this article has given you some inspiration and helped you understand how to use these phrases. Which one is your favorite? Leave a comment and feel free to ask any questions.

Английские Фразеологизмы Воды 

Doesn’t hold water: полная чушь (об аргументе, предлоге).

In deep water: в трудном положении.

Like a fish out of water: не в своей тарелке.

Mouth-watering: очень вкусный (о еде).

Dip your toe in the water: прозондировать почву.

Go through fire and water: пройти воду, огонь и медные трубы.

Muddy the waters: вносить неразбериху. (mud: слякоть, грязь).

 Keep your head above the water: еле справиться с ситуацией.

Water off a duck’s back: неэффективное действие.

Water under the bridge: дело прошлое.

 Like oil and water: разные вещи/неподходящие друг другу люди.

Can talk under water: очень много болтать.

To plow water: тратить свои усилия. (plow: пахать землю).

To pay the water bill: сходить в туалет за малой нуждой.

To walk on water: совершать чудеса.

Dull as dishwater: очень скучный (о фильме либо человеке).

To water down: уменьшать (свои требования).

Use: If you don’t finish your history project, you’re going to land in hot water with Mrs Chui.

2 In deep water

Meaning: to be in a difficult or serious situation

Use: The football team is in deep water; there’s no way they can come back from a 3-1 score to win.

3 Take to (an activity) like a duck to water

Meaning: to learn or adapt to something new very quickly

Use: Even though she’d never played guitar before, Louise took to it like a duck to water, and was soon playing with a rock band.

4 Feel like a fish out of water

Meaning: to feel uncomfortable because you feel like you don’t belong in a place or situation

Use: Robert felt like a fish out of water surrounded by the girls who had been doing judo for years.

5 Blood is thicker than water

Meaning: family relationships are more important than all others

Use: Even though I know my brother is annoying, blood is thicker than water, and I will always defend him when people tell him to shut up.

6 To muddy the waters

Meaning: to make a situation more confusing than it was before

Use: The latest statement on the new subject has just muddied the waters, and teachers have no idea what to cover in class.

Clothing and fashion idioms to make your writing more stylish

7 Keep your head above the water

Meaning: to just manage to survive in a difficult situation, especially concerning money

Use: Thanks to a donation from the charity after Mrs Lam lost her job, the family are keeping their heads above water.

8 Pour cold water on something

Meaning: to criticise someone’s idea or plan so much they no longer feel excited about it

Use: I know you don’t think the camping trip is exciting, but there was no need to pour cold water over Billy’s suggestion. He planned it all himself!

9 Pour oil on troubled waters

Meaning: to try to stop an argument by calming people down

Use: Mum always manages to pour oil on troubled waters when my siblings and I get into a fight.

10 Doesn’t hold water

Meaning: if a statement, theory or argument doesn’t hold water, you can’t believe it

Use: Dan told Claire he missed her concert because didn’t know what time it was, but that doesn’t hold water. We all saw him put it in his calendar!

11 It’s (like) water off a duck’s back

Meaning: when criticisms or warnings etc have no effect on the person you are saying them to

Use: My aunt told me my T-shirt was stupid, but her comments on fashion are like water off a duck’s back – she has no idea about what’s cool and what’s not.

10 idioms and expressions related to ice to make your writing cooler

12 It’s water under the bridge

Meaning: what happened in the past should be forgotten

Use: Forget all about what you said at the party, it’s water under the bridge.

13 Dead in the water

Meaning: describes a plan or idea that is unlikely to be successful

Use: I reckon Donald Trump’s plan to run for president again is dead in the water.

14 Uncharted waters

Meaning: a situation or activity you’ve never tried or experienced before

Use: Writing books for teens is uncharted waters for Stephen King, but this new novel is excellent.

15 To blow something/someone out of the water

Meaning: be so much better than something or someone else

Use: We thought that last year’s Grammy performances were good, but this year’s blew them out of the water.

16 To be like oil and water

Meaning: describes things that do not work well together

Use: The party was a flop because my friends from football and my classmates were like oil and water.

20 food idioms to spice up your next English assignment

17 Dip your toe in the water

Meaning: try an activity for a short time to see if you like it, or if it will be successful

Use: The great thing about summer camp is you can dip your toe in the water with a lot of different sports and pastimes, and find a new hobby you love.

18 Test the water (or waters)

Meaning: judge what people think about something before acting on it

Use: Before deciding on the school play, the drama club tested the water by doing extracts from a range of shows.

19 Dull as dishwater (or ditchwater)

Meaning: very boring

Use: I was so excited about the new superhero movie, but it was as dull as dishwater. What a waste of time.

20 Water something down

Meaning: make a statement or plan less forceful by changing it or removing parts that may offend or upset people

Use: The lawmakers watered down the proposed new law, hoping to appeal to voters.

21 Spend money like water

Meaning: spend lots of money (especially if you should be saving it)

Use: She got a summer job, so now she’s spending money like water.

22 You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink

Meaning: you can give somebody an opportunity to do something, but you can’t force them to do it

Use: I offered to help Russ revise for biology, but he said no. It’s like the saying goes: you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.

23 Still waters run deep

Meaning: someone who is quiet may have very strong feelings or know a lot

Use: Sue never speaks in class, so when she gave that amazing talk about DNA, it just showed that still waters run deep.

Water is life. Don’t waste it!

According to Seametrics.com, 70% of the human brain is water, while a jellyfish and a cucumber are each 95% water. Just because water is such an important part of everyone and everything and life truly depends on this invaluable resource, we’d like to devote this post to water. We hope it will inspire you to appreciate and save water because nowadays it may be even more important than ever.

WATER COLLOCATIONS

Water is not only a noun but also a verb:

Can you water my plants when I’m away? (1)

His eyes watered from the smoke. (2)

Curry always makes my mouth water. (3)

1. If you water plants, you pour water over them in order to help them to grow.
2. If your eyes water, tears build up in them because they are hurting or because you are upset.
3. If food makes your mouth water, it makes you want to eat it, sometimes making your mouth produce liquid (saliva /səˈlaɪvə/). Therefore, mouth-watering food looks or smells extremely nice.

Common verb + water collocations:

to pour water

to spill water

to splash water

to spray water

to sprinkle water

to filter water

to pollute water

In addition, you can slosh water around, which means moving it in different directions. It’s also correct to say that water sloshes:

Don’t slosh too much water on the floor when you’re having a bath.

The water sloshed around the bridge.

If water spurts from somewhere, or if it is spurted, it flows out suddenly with force:

There is air in the line when the water from a faucet spurts out in small, violent rushes instead of having a steady, smooth stream.

This fountain spurts water five stories high.

The burst pipe was spurting water everywhere.

The verb to squirt has the same meaning:

Water squirted out all over the floor. (It came out suddenly with force.)

Water becomes poisonous when people contaminate/pollute it:

100,000 people could fall ill after drinking contaminated water.

Heavy industry pollutes our rivers with chemicals.

If water is filtered, it’s purified:

Boiling is a reliable way to purify water.

Filtering water is a way of purification. If you filter, you pass water through something in order to remove solid pieces or other harmful substances:

The water was filtered to remove any impurities.

The use of sand for water filtration dates back 2,000 years. 

Finally, water can be turned off and then turned on by plumbers fixing your pipes:

They turned the water off for a few hours to do some work on the pipes.They turned it on in a few hours. 

A few common adjective + water collocations:

• Lukewarm /ˌluːkˈwɔːm/ (slightly warm) water: Lukewarm water is great for washing your face.
• Tepid (slightly warm) water: The regular drinking of tepid water will provide many benefits for you body.
• Brackish (salty, dirty and unpleasant) water: Brackish water is saltier than fresh water but not as bad as seawater. 
• Fresh water – water that is not salt: Rivers, lakes, and marshlands are types of freshwater (adj.) systems.
• Running water: All the rooms have hot and cold running water. (Running water is supplied through pipes and taps.) Also, running water is flowing water: The forest was filled with the sound of running water.
• Hard water (water that has high mineral content): More than 85% of American homes have hard water.
• Soft water (water that contains low concentrations of ions): Most water in Japan is soft water.

WATER IDIOMS

• Murky/uncharted waters – a situation that is not well known and may be dangerous: We’ve entered the murky waters of human psychology. The economy has moved into uncharted waters. (Murky /ˈmɜː(r)ki/ means dark and difficult to see through, and uncharted means not shown on any map.)
• Troubled waters – a difficult situation, especially where there is a lot of disagreement and problems: We don’t want to enter the troubled waters of race and religion.
• To pour oil on troubled waters – to try to make an angry situation calmer: My husband’s always arguing with my father, and I’m the one who has to pour oil on troubled waters.
• To be (all) water under the bridge – something that happened in the past, cannot be changed and so should be forgotten: Say that our love ain’t water under the bridge. (from “Water Under the Bridge” by Adele; our post about idioms in Adele’s songs is here.)
• (To be like) water off a duck’s back – criticisms of or warnings to a particular person that have no effect on that person: All those things he said to me were just water off a duck’s back. I’ve told him that he’s heading for trouble, but he doesn’t listen – it’s just water off a duck’s back.
• To take to something like a duck to water – to learn how to do something very easily: She took to dancing like a duck to water. (To take to something means to start doing something regularly. It can also mean to start to like someone or something.)
• To be/feel like a fish out of water – to feel uncomfortable because you feel you do not belong in a place or situation: I felt like a fish out of water in my new school.
• To be in deep water / to get into deep water – to be in a difficult/serious situation: We are getting into deep water. The Democrats are in deep water over their plans for tax increases.
• To be in hot water – to be in a difficult situation in which you are likely to be punished: She got herself in hot water with the authorities. He is in hot water over the way he does business.
• To be dead in the water – to be completely unlikely to succeed: The peace process is now dead in the water.
• To hold water – to seem to be true or reasonable: The jury convicted her because her story just didn’t hold water. The idiom is used to talk about reasons, arguments or explanations. 
• To pour/throw cold water on something – to do or say something that spoils someone’s plans or enthusiasm for doing something: He’s always throwing cold water on her ideas.
• To test the water/waters – to find out whether something is likely to be successful before you do or try it: Candidates like to test the waters before running for office.
• Come hell or high water (impolite) – in spite of any problems or difficulties: I’ll do it, come hell or high water.
• To keep your head above water – to manage to live or keep a business working even though you are not earning much money: Although I’ve been out of a job for three months, I’ve managed to keep my head above water.

We’d like to finish with “Head Above Water,” a beautiful song about overcoming obstacles and being strong. Enjoy and keep your head above water at all times!

The lyrics are here.

Some useful vocabulary from the song:

• The calm before the storm – a quiet or peaceful period before a period during which there is great activity, argument, or difficulty: I’ve gotta keep the calm before the storm.
• Driving force – something that motivates somebody: My voice becomes the driving force.
• To keep it together – to remain calm and collected in a stressful situation: I can’t seem to keep it all together.

Do you have any questions about this or other vocabulary from the song or this article? Please post your comment below and we’ll be happy to help. Thank you for reading!