Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

keep one's head above water

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.26 in modern English

Syllables: keep- one's -head- above wa-ter
IPA

40

Scrabble Score

22

Letters

5

Syllables

14

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To survive or endure, especially in a situation in which one is struggling to avoid being overwhelmed by adverse financial circumstances.

verb

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: maintain an above-water position of one's head so as not to drown in the water.

Example Sentences

"Near-synonym: tread water"
"Blessed be God that ministreth ever some comfort to sweeten the calamities of life, and to keep the soul from fainting, to keep the head above water, that the deep waters swallow us not up."
"I endeavoured to obtain a mitigation of this severe sentence, by offering myself to engage for the payment of the remaining sum, to preserve my mother's small salary unencumbered; but he interrupted me with the utmost cruelty, by saying . . . it would be pretty well if, for some years, I could keep my own head above water."
"Besides, I have had to borrow ten thousand dollars of him to keep my head above water."
"The capitalist system being one under which a profit must be made by any enterprise that is to keep its head above water, we are forced to call off the fight in this case."
"Strong sales in Europe and Asia are helping Tiffany keep its head above water at a time when US consumers are holding onto their wallets."

Inflected Forms

keeps one's head above water (present, singular) keeping one's head above water (participle, present) kept one's head above water (participle, past) kept one's head above water (past) hold one's head above water (alternative) keep one's head above the water (alternative)

Phrases

up to here up to one's neck

Frequently Paired Words

up to here up to one's neck

Synonyms

tread water

Questions

What does keep one's head above water mean?: To survive or endure, especially in a situation in which one is struggling to avoid being overwhelmed by adverse financial circumstances.

How to pronounce keep one's head above water

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