water
gb/wˈɔtɚ/ us/wˈɔtɚ/
A1
English
~ 300
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
entity
1
the liquid that people and animals drink
A clear liquid we drink, found in rivers, lakes, and rain, and needed by all living things.
Usage pattern:
drink [water]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'water' with 'waters' — 'water' is uncountable when referring to the liquid, 'waters' refers to areas of sea or ocean.
Synonyms
H2O (Scientific term used in chemistry or technical contexts.)
Antonyms
dehydration (Refers to the state of lacking water in the body.)
Collocations
drink water
|boil water
|fresh water
|tap water
|bottle of water
Themes
science
|daily life
|nature
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Water covers about 71% of Earth's surface.
- She poured a glass of water before sitting down.
- Make sure you drink enough water during exercise.
- The plants will die without water.
- I need to boil some water for tea.
Learner examples
- I drink water every day.
- The cat is drinking water.
- Water is in the glass.
- Plants need water to grow.
Verb
A2
action
2
to pour water on plants or animals
To give water to plants or animals so they can grow or stay healthy.
Usage pattern:
water [plants/flowers/garden]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this with 'wash' — 'water' means to give water for growth, not to clean.
Synonyms
irrigate (More formal or technical term often used for farming contexts.)
Antonyms
dry out (To remove moisture from something.)
Collocations
water the plants
|water the garden
|water crops
Themes
daily life
|gardening
|daily_life
|nature
Examples
- Don't forget to water the plants while I'm away.
- Farmers need to water their crops regularly.
- She watered the flowers early in the morning to avoid evaporation.
Learner examples
- I water my plants every day.
- Please water the flowers.
- He waters the garden in the evening.
Noun
B1
entity
3
a body or stretch of sea or river
A part of a sea, river, or lake.
Synonyms
sea (Refers specifically to saltwater; 'waters' can be fresh or salt.)
Antonyms
land (The solid part of the Earth's surface.)
Collocations
international waters
|coastal waters
|shallow waters
Themes
nature
|geography
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The ship entered international waters.
- These coastal waters are rich in fish.
- They sailed through dangerous waters.
Learner examples
- The boat is in deep waters.
- We swam in the warm waters of the bay.
- Ships travel through these waters.
Verb
B1
action
4
mouth or eyes produce fluid naturally
When your eyes fill with tears or your mouth makes saliva because of food or feelings.
Usage pattern:
[eyes/mouth] water(s)
Synonyms
tear up (Specifically refers to eyes producing tears due to emotion.)
Antonyms
dry up (To lose moisture; for eyes or mouth, means no fluid is produced.)
Collocations
eyes water
|mouth waters
Themes
emotions
|body
|health
Examples
- The smoke made my eyes water.
- Her mouth watered at the smell of fresh bread.
- His eyes watered from the cold wind.
Learner examples
- My eyes water when I cut onions.
- Her mouth waters when she sees cake.
- The cold air makes my eyes water.
Grammar
Dictionary form
water
IPA
GB/wˈɔtɚ/
US/wˈɔtɚ/
Syllables & stress
wa - ter (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (wa)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: water
- Plural: water, waters
Verb
- Base: water
- 3rd Person Singular: waters
- Present Participle: watering
- Past: watered
Word family
Forms
waters
noun
watering
verb
watered
verb
Core family
watery
adjective B1
Related words
waterproof
adjective B1
underwater
adjective A2
Negative and opposite forms
waterless
adjective
Expressions
hold water
1/hˈoʊld wˈɔtɚ/
idiom
to be logical or valid (argument)
If an idea 'holds water', it is logical and makes sense.
Examples
- Her explanation doesn't hold water when you look at the facts.
- That theory seems to hold water.
in hot water
1/ˈɪn hˈɑt wˈɔtɚ/
idiom
informal
in trouble for something done wrong
In trouble because you did something wrong or made a mistake.
Examples
- He got in hot water for missing the meeting.
- If you lie to her, you'll be in hot water.
like a fish out of water
1/lˈaɪk ə fˈɪʃ ˈaʊt əv wˈɔtɚ/
idiom
uncomfortable in an unfamiliar situation
Feeling strange and not comfortable because you are in a place or situation you do not know well.
Examples
- I felt like a fish out of water at that fancy party.
- He was like a fish out of water when he moved to the big city.
like a fish out of water
2/lˈaɪk ə fˈɪʃ ˈaʊt əv wˈɔtɚ/
idiom
Uncomfortable in unfamiliar setting
Feeling nervous or not at ease because you are in a place or situation you do not know well.
Examples
- I felt like a fish out of water at the formal dinner.
- He was like a fish out of water at his first dance class.
make waves
1/mˈeɪk wˈeɪvz/
idiom
informal
Cause trouble or change norms
To cause change or trouble by doing something different or unexpected.
Examples
- She didn’t want to make waves at her new job, so she kept quiet.
- The report is making waves in political circles.
make waves
2/mˈeɪk wˈeɪvz/
idiom
informal
to cause trouble or change things too much
To cause problems by attracting attention or trying to change things too much.
Examples
- Try not to make waves during the meeting.
- She made waves by questioning the manager's decision.
water under the bridge
1/wˈɔtɚ ˈʌndɚ ðə bɹˈɪd͡ʒ/
idiom
past problem that is no longer important
Something that happened in the past and is no longer important now.
Examples
- We had some arguments before, but that's all water under the bridge now.
- Yes, we had some disagreements, but that's water under the bridge now.
- Don't worry about last year's mistakes—it's water under the bridge.
- Don't worry about last year's problems; it's all water under the bridge.