sultry

adjective

sul·​try ˈsəl-trē How to pronounce sultry (audio)
sultrier; sultriest
1
a
: very hot and humid : sweltering
a sultry day
b
: burning hot : torrid
a sultry sun
2
a
: hot with passion or anger
b
: exciting or capable of exciting strong sexual desire
sultry glances
sultrily adverb
sultriness noun

Examples of sultry in a Sentence

In the one Manet Stephen owned, Young Woman Reclining in Spanish Costume (1862–1863), the plump young model provokes us with her sultry gaze, her awkward semi-recumbent position, her casually defiant cross-dressing in a male torero's shiny trousers, and the come-hither implication of her highlighted hands … John Updike, New York Review of Books, 5 Oct. 2006
As the fireflies entertain humans all summer long with a magical light show, they are actually cruising the sultry nights in search of love. "Male fireflies fly around flashing their advertisement," says evolutionary ecologist Sara Lewis of Tufts, one of the authors of the study, which appeared in the journal Science recently. Betsy Mason, Orlando Sentinel, 22 July 2001
In an age when the gangsta rapper is king and pubescent boy and girl groups rule the charts with a tough … version of adolescent bubble-gum pop, Toni Braxton is an anomaly. Her sultry good looks, rich, husky contralto and ability to deliver a line with such mature conviction make her seem older, more experienced than her 26 years. Gordon Chambers, Essence, April 1994
She looked at him with a sultry glance. an actress with a sultry voice
Recent Examples on the Web Sweeney’s color is similarly on vogue: Created by celebrity hairstylist and colorist Jacob Schwartz, the shade transitioned Sweeney from her previous bright blonde to a sultry dark suede blonde using Schwarzkopf’s demi-permanent Igora Vibrance line. Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 11 Mar. 2024 On top of an already timeless look, Sweeney completed her Vanity Fair afterparty look with the debut of a new ‘do – a sultry bob that had been styled into loose waves. Julia Moore, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 Jenner, who has been in Paris shooting a L’Oreal campaign, went out to dinner this evening in a sultry, red hot skirt suit. Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 8 Mar. 2024 The makers of The Idea of You have shared the sultry romance film’s first trailer — featuring Anne Hathaway‘s character beginning a glamorous tryst with a 20-year-old Harry Styles-esque superstar — as well as the debut single of its fictional teen pop idols, August Moon. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 6 Mar. 2024 Sheer black hose make any outfit sultry, and skin-color ones are like leg makeup. Medea Giordano, WIRED, 3 Mar. 2024 The sultry pop track is the singer’s first new music since the release of her sophomore LP, Silence Between Songs. Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 9 Feb. 2024 While Gomez knows how to make even the most simple looks shine — especially in a sultry mirror pic — the musician also knows how to turn heads in full red carpet glam. Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 2 Mar. 2024 In the sultry snapshots, the gymnast wore a butter yellow terrycloth string bikini and a straw cowboy hat in true yeehaw-agenda fashion. Hanna Lustig, Glamour, 26 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sultry.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

obsolete English sulter to swelter, alteration of English swelter

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of sultry was in 1594

Dictionary Entries Near sultry

Cite this Entry

“Sultry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sultry. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sultry

adjective
sul·​try ˈsəl-trē How to pronounce sultry (audio)
sultrier; sultriest
1
: very hot and humid
a sultry day
2
: burning hot
sultry sun
3
: exciting or capable of exciting romantic passion
sultry glances
sultrily adverb
sultriness noun

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