sulfurous

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adjective sul·fu·rous \ ˈsəl-fə-rəs , -fyə- also (especially for sense 1a) ˌsəl-ˈfyu̇r-əs \

variants: or chiefly British sulphurous

Definition of sulfurous

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

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sulfurously

adverb

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sulfurousness

noun

See sulfurous defined for English-language learners

See sulfurous defined for kids

Is it sulfur or sulphur?

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.

Recent Examples of sulfurous from the Web

Sulfurous compounds called glucosinolates give cruciferous veggies their bitter taste and also potentially fight cancer—but also trigger gassiness and bloating.

— cindy kuzma, SELF, "The Best Foods to Eat the Night Before a Big Race," 27 Aug. 2017
Another cargo of light oil, which is less sulfurous than heavier grades, is set to arrive in a couple of months at Ulsan from even farther away -- the U.S. -- to be processed by SK Innovation Co., South Korea’s top refiner.

— heesu lee, Bloomberg.com, "Top Oil Buyers Go on Light Crude Diet to Satisfy Diesel Craving," 8 Aug. 2017
Its anchor was the J.C. Penney, which had put its first Florida store in Palatka in 1928 and employed a generation of workers, mostly women, who generally did not seek to work in the sulfurous-smelling mill.

— robert samuels, Washington Post, "The help Trump promised hasn’t come. So this ‘dying city’ is determined to save itself.," 8 Aug. 2017
To elevate your own sporty shorts, try finishing off the look with an A.L.C cropped ivory tank top with sulfurous Castaigne kidskin slides.

— alexandra gurvitch, Vogue, "Let Bella Hadid Teach You How to Turn Your Gym Clothes Into Sexy Streetwear," 8 Aug. 2017
Served with a sharp, almost sulfurous honey-mustard dipping sauce, these scarfable advances on the American fast-food icon could easily become a Schor signature, something she'll be required to serve for the rest of her career.

— mike sula, Chicago Reader, "Split-Rail reimagines a lowbrow midwestern culinary heritage," 1 Aug. 2017
Bathing in, and drinking, the sulfurous waters of the hot springs, was held to be a cure for everything from nerves to gout.

— kat eschner, Smithsonian, "Five Things to Know About Bath, Jane Austen’s Home and Inspiration," 18 July 2017
And the president’s approval of a $1.4 billion weapons sale to Taiwan provoked a sulfurous reaction from the Chinese government.

— mark landler, New York Times, "Trump Takes More Aggressive Stance With U.S. Friends and Foes in Asia," 30 June 2017
The compact spa (a sulfurous and geothermally heated hot tub, steam room and sauna) and gym cost 15 euros (about $17) a person for the entire stay.

— kathryn o’shea-evans, New York Times, "An Art Deco Grande Dame in Iceland Takes a Star Turn — Again," 16 June 2017

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.