torrid

adjective

tor·​rid ˈtȯr-əd 

ˈtär-

1

a

: parched with heat especially of the sun : hot

torrid sands

b

: giving off intense heat : scorching

2

: ardent, passionate

torrid love letters

torridity

tȯ-ˈri-də-tē 

noun

torridly

ˈtȯr-əd-lē 

ˈtär-

adverb

torridness noun

Did you know?

What Do torrid and Toast Have in Common?

Hot, steamy, sultry: English is full of words that do double-duty in describing thirst traps both literal (as in the tropics) and figurative (as in, well, thirst traps). Torrid comes from the Latin verb torrēre, which means “to burn” or “to parch” and is an ancestor of our word toast. (Despite its dry implications, torrēre is also an ancestor of torrent, as in “a torrent of rain.”) Torrid first appeared in English in the 16th century and was originally used to describe something burned or scorched by exposure to the sun, but it has since taken on an extended meaning similar to the “sexy” sense of hot: “showing fiery passion,” as in “torrid love letters” or “a torrid affair.”

Synonyms

• ardent
• boiling
• broiling
• burning
• fervent
• fervid
• fiery
• hot
• piping hot
• red
• red-hot
• roasting
• scalding
• scorching
• searing
• sultry
• superheated
• sweltering
• ultrahot
• white-hot

Examples of torrid in a Sentence

The team had a torrid time trying to score.

the dry, torrid summers in southern Arizona

Recent Examples on the Web

From familial tensions and torrid love affairs to untimely deaths and societal shifts, the Crawleys provide a compelling look at the final days of aristocracy and their dying way of life in post-Edwardian England. —Cady Lang, TIME, 16 May 2024

The blue-chip index’s torrid 23% rise from its October 2023 low has been driven by industrial, technology and consumer shares, with American Express Co. rising more than 70% in that span. —Bloomberg, Fortune, 16 May 2024

Many torrid travel spots are ripe with adventure, from snorkeling excursions to ATV tours to zip lining. —Lindsay Cohn, Travel + Leisure, 12 May 2024

Sun Devils stay hot Arizona State’s torrid start to the 2025 class, particularly on the offensive line, continued with two more pledges. —Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 9 May 2024

Often working on dozens of albums per year, Albini kept up his torrid pace recently, re-teaming with frequent collaborator folk singer Nina Nastasia in 2022, as well as working on albums by Black Midi, Spare Snare, Liturgy and Code Orange over the past two years. —Gil Kaufman, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 May 2024

Matos called up After a torrid spring, Luis Matos didn’t have to toil at Triple-A for long. —Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2024

After a torrid spring, Luis Matos didn’t have to toil at Triple-A for long. —Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2024

Park, 27, continued his torrid hitting while going 2-for-2 with a double during Oakland’s 11-5 spring win over the Angels Saturday. —Jon Becker, The Mercury News, 23 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French & Latin; French torride, going back to Middle French, borrowed from Latin torridus "dried by exposure to heat, parched, scorched," adjective derivative from the stem of torreō, torrēre "to heat so as to dry, scorch, parch" — more at thirst entry 1

First Known Use

1545, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing torrid

• torrid zone

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Kids Definition

torrid

adjective

tor·​rid ˈtȯr-əd 

ˈtär-

: very hot and usually dry

torridly adverb

Etymology

from Latin torridus "dried or burnt by heat, torrid," derived from torrēre "to heat so as to dry up or burn" — related to torrent

Word Origin

The Latin verb torrēre, meaning "to heat so as to dry up or burn," gave rise to two quite different English words. They are torrid and torrent. The Latin adjective torridus, meaning "dried or burnt by heat," was formed from torrēre. It became our torrid. Another Latin adjective, torrens, meaning "scorching, burning," was also formed from torrēre. It, however, gained a second sense of "flowing with great force and speed, rushing." This second sense led to the use of torrens as a noun for "a rushing or violent stream." This noun was borrowed into English as torrent. It came to refer not only to rushing water, but also to any kind of outpouring, such as of words, information, sounds, or feelings.