Meanings
verbfish in troubled waters (third-person singular simple present fishes in troubled waters, present participle fishing in troubled waters, simple past and past participle fished in troubled waters)
present singular third person fishes in troubled waters · participle present fishing in troubled waters · participle past fished in troubled waters · past fished in troubled waters
- idiomaticTo try to take advantage of a confused or troubled situation.
Translations
Arabic اصطاد بالماء العكر, صاد في الماء العكر
- اصطاد بالماء العكرto take advantage from a chaotic situation
- صاد في الماء العكرto take advantage from a chaotic situation
Chinese Mandarin 渾水摸魚 /浑水摸鱼
- 渾水摸魚 /浑水摸鱼 (húnshuǐmōyú)to take advantage from a chaotic situation
Danish fiske i rørte vande
- fiske i rørte vandeto take advantage from a chaotic situation
Finnish kalastaa sameassa vedessä, käyttää sekasortoa hyväkseen
- kalastaa sameassa vedessäto take advantage from a chaotic situation
- käyttää sekasortoa hyväkseento take advantage from a chaotic situation
French pêcher en eau trouble
- pêcher en eau troubleto take advantage from a chaotic situation
German im Trüben fischen
- im Trüben fischento take advantage from a chaotic situation
Hungarian a zavarosban halászik
- a zavarosban halászikto take advantage from a chaotic situation
Italian pescare nel torbido
- pescare nel torbidoto take advantage from a chaotic situation
Malay menangguk di air keruh
- menangguk di air keruhto take advantage from a chaotic situation
Norwegian Bokmål fiske i rørt vann
- fiske i rørt vannto take advantage from a chaotic situation
Polish łowić ryby w mętnej wodzie, złowić ryby w mętnej wodzie
- łowić ryby w mętnej wodzieto take advantage from a chaotic situation
- złowić ryby w mętnej wodzieto take advantage from a chaotic situation
Russian лови́ть ры́бу в му́тной воде́
- лови́ть ры́бу в му́тной воде́ (lovítʹ rýbu v mútnoj vodé)to take advantage from a chaotic situation
Spanish a río revuelto, ganancia de pescadores
- a río revuelto, ganancia de pescadoresto take advantage from a chaotic situation
Swedish fiska i grumligt vatten
- fiska i grumligt vattento take advantage from a chaotic situation
Vietnamese thừa nước đục thả câu, đục nước béo cò
- thừa nước đục thả câuto take advantage from a chaotic situation
- đục nước béo còto take advantage from a chaotic situation
- mượn gió bẻ măngto take advantage from a chaotic situation
Cite this entry
APA
fish in troubled waters. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fish%20in%20troubled%20waters
MLA
“fish in troubled waters.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fish%20in%20troubled%20waters. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fish in troubled waters,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fish%20in%20troubled%20waters.
Source: fish in troubled waters on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.