American English
/ˈwɔ.ɾɚ/
2 syllables · Stress the first syllable.
the liquid that people, animals, and plants need to live
“Water” is commonly pronounced with either the vowel in “law” (/ɔ/) or the vowel in “hot” (/ɑ/), depending on the speaker’s accent.
the liquid that people, animals, and plants need to live
I drink water with every meal.
Could I have a glass of water?
For the liquid in general, say water, not a water. In a restaurant, a water can mean one glass or bottle of water.
tap water · bottled water · drinking water · cold water
drink + water
a glass of + water
the liquid in a particular lake, river, sea, pool, or other area
The water near the island is calm.
We rented a boat and spent the day on the water.
open water · shallow water · deep water · calm water
in + the water
on + the water
to put liquid on a plant, or give it to an animal or person
Please water the plants before you leave.
The farmer watered the horses at noon.
water the plants · water the garden · water crops · water a horse
water + something
water + something + with + something
to produce tears, especially because of smoke, onions, or strong feelings
My eyes water when I cut onions.
The smoke made her eyes water.
watery eyes
someone's eyes + water
something + makes + someone's eyes + water
to make a drink or food thinner by adding more liquid; to make an idea or statement less strong
They watered down the proposal before the vote.
in trouble or facing a difficult situation
He is in hot water after missing the deadline.
something bad that happened in the past and is no longer worth worrying about
We argued about it, but it's water under the bridge now.