walk on water

verb

To perform godlike or superhuman feats.

“He may be rich and influential, but he can't walk on water.”

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Meanings

verbwalk on water (third-person singular simple present walks on water, present participle walking on water, simple past and past participle walked on water)

present singular third person walks on water · participle present walking on water · participle past walked on water · past walked on water

  1. idiomaticTo perform godlike or superhuman feats.

    He may be rich and influential, but he can't walk on water.

    3 more examples

    After the day I had today, I feel like I could walk on water.

    Oh, I've walked on water, run through fire / Can't seem to feel it anymore

    1979, “New Dawn Fades”, in Ian Curtis (lyrics), Unknown Pleasures, performed by Joy Division

    Six years ago, McCormack was walking on water as the cop who cracked the Quaker case.

    2022, Liam McIlvanney, The Heretic, page 29
  2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see walk, water.

Origin

From the miracle of Jesus walking on water, described in the Gospels.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

walk on water. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/walk%20on%20water

MLA

“walk on water.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/walk%20on%20water. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “walk on water,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/walk%20on%20water.

Source: walk on water on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.