sulfurous

adjective

sul·fu·rous ˈsəl-fə-rəs

-fyə-,

also (especially for sense 1a) ˌsəl-ˈfyu̇r-əs

variants or chiefly British sulphurous

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

sulfurous esters

: resembling or emanating from sulfur and especially burning sulfur

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

: scathing, virulent

sulfurous denunciations

: profane, blasphemous

sulfurous language

sulfurously adverb

sulfurousness noun

Is it sulfur or sulphur?: Usage Guide

The spelling sulfur predominates in U.

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.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Understandably, the four original members who took the stage in the wake of an exaggerated intro punctuated by throat-choking clouds of sulfurous smoke no longer resemble their youthful bad-boy selves.

Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2022 For those seeking an alternative to the popular Golden Circle, the Diamond Circle winds through volcanic landscapes featuring powerful waterfalls, misty vistas and sulfurous pools.

New York Times, 3 June 2022 There are two main types of hydrotherapy in France—thermalism and, for those who prefer their water salty rather than sulfurous, thalasso.

Lauren Collins, The New Yorker, 23 May 2022 Urals is moderately heavy and sulfurous, meaning it can be replaced by crudes such as Arab Medium, produced in Saudi Arabia, and most crudes produced in Iraq.

Joe Wallace, WSJ, 7 Mar. 2022 In contrast, Dmitry Kiselyev, a longtime Kremlin propagandist who is known as one of the most sulfurous personalities on Russian television, opened his state television program on Sunday with a rundown of Russia’s nuclear arsenal.

Robin Wright, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2022 Parts of the lake boiled and volcanic openings called fumaroles belched out hot sulfurous gases.

Ashley Strickland, CNN, 3 Feb. 2022 His odes to unity and his faith in government seemed positively countercultural, after four years in which Trump had bathed Americans in his sulfurous brand of cynicism.

Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2022 The golf course closed in 1933 and the clubhouse burned in 1951, but the hot and sulfurous waters remain in rocky pools along the shoreline.

Los Angeles Times, 28 Dec. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sulfurous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.