sulfurous

adjective

sul·​fu·​rous ˈsəl-fə-rəs 

-fyə-

also (especially for sense 1a)

ˌsəl-ˈfyu̇r-əs 

variants or chiefly British sulphurous

1

a

: of, relating to, or containing sulfur especially with a lower valence than sulfuric compounds

sulfurous esters

b

: resembling or emanating from sulfur and especially burning sulfur

2

a

: of, relating to, or dealing with the fire of hell : infernal

b

: scathing, virulent

sulfurous denunciations

c

: profane, blasphemous

sulfurous language

sulfurously adverb

sulfurousness noun

Is it sulfur or sulphur?: Usage Guide

The spelling sulfur predominates in U.S. technical usage, while both sulfur and sulphur are common in general usage. British usage tends to favor sulphur for all applications. The same pattern is seen in most of the words derived from sulfur.

Examples of sulfurous in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These might be mineral water showers or baths, cold-water enemas, or just drinking 3 glasses of stinky, sulfurous spring water daily before breakfast, while strolling and engaging in pleasant conversation on a landscaped promenade. — Veronique Greenwood, Time, 9 July 2026

Some say sulfurous and phenolic, others say straight-up skunky. — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 16 June 2026

Rescue teams spent four hours navigating the Hardah Dam crater’s steep, rocky terrain and hot sulfurous lake before divers recovered his body roughly 100 feet below the surface. — Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2026

Neither rocky with a thick hydrogen atmosphere nor an ocean world, L 98-59 d might occupy a new class of molten, sulfurous exoplanet, according to a study in Nature Astronomy. — K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 11 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing sulfurous

• sulfurous acid

Rhymes for sulfurous

• sulphurous

Kids Definition

sulfurous

adjective

sul·​fu·​rous

variants also sulphurous

ˈsəl-f(y)ə-rəs 

also for sense 1

ˌsəl-ˈfyu̇r-əs 

1

: of, relating to, or containing sulfur

2

a

: of, relating to, or dealing with the fire of hell : infernal

b

: fiery sense 3a, inflamed

a sulfurous sermon

c

: profane sense 2, blasphemous

sulfurous language

Medical Definition

sulfurous

adjective

sul·​fu·​rous

variants or chiefly British sulphurous

ˈsəl-f(y)ə-rəs, also especially for 1 ˌsəl-ˈfyu̇r-əs

1

: of, relating to, or containing sulfur especially with a lower valence than sulfuric compounds

sulfurous esters

2

: resembling or emanating from sulfur and especially burning sulfur