sweltering

[ swel-ter-ing ]

adjective

1. suffering oppressive heat.
2. characterized by oppressive heat; sultry.

sweltering

/ ˈswɛltərɪŋ /

adjective

1. oppressively hot and humid

   a sweltering day

Derived Forms

• ˈswelteringly, adverb

Other Words From

• swelter·ing·ly adverb
• un·swelter·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sweltering¹

First recorded in 1565–75; swelter + -ing ²

Example Sentences

Los Angeles may be a mecca for hiking, but not necessarily in the depths of summer when it’s too sweltering to hit the trails, even in the morning.

From Los Angeles Times

When podcast producer Ruth Evans and I knocked on his door one sweltering day in rural Wisconsin in August 2023, he sank onto his steps, put his head in his hands and swore.

From BBC

He scored just 68 of his 264 runs in boundaries meaning the rest were taken by running ones, twos and threes in sweltering heat nearing 40C.

From BBC

Farmers in particular rely on migrant laborers to work with livestock and harvest field and orchard produce in sweltering heat.

From Salon

On a recent sweltering Saturday in Phoenix, about 40 Native American leaders and community organizers gathered in an art gallery, where a backdrop had been decorated with posters proclaiming “Native Americans for Harris-Walz.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• airless
• baking
• burning
• humid
• oppressive
• scorching
• sizzling
• stifling
• stuffy
• sultry
• torrid