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
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
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
On the ground floor, the 30-seat bar room is sultry with low lighting and warm wood tones.
—Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 28 July 2025
Parker, who was seen in a sultry, eye-elongating black liner and red lip stain, paired her beauty look with a classic oval manicure.
—Essence, 28 July 2025
The Hustlers movie star shot the camera a sultry glance with a smokey eye, contoured cheeks and a nude lip.
—Angel Saunders, People.com, 25 July 2025
But before that, pause to consider the plating: how the plump, pink prawns arrive swimming in a sultry and intensely red chili broth, accompanied by a piece of sesame toast.
—Timothy Depeugh, Charlotte Observer, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sultry
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Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 28 July 2025
Parker, who was seen in a sultry, eye-elongating black liner and red lip stain, paired her beauty look with a classic oval manicure.
—Essence, 28 July 2025
The Hustlers movie star shot the camera a sultry glance with a smokey eye, contoured cheeks and a nude lip.
—Angel Saunders, People.com, 25 July 2025
But before that, pause to consider the plating: how the plump, pink prawns arrive swimming in a sultry and intensely red chili broth, accompanied by a piece of sesame toast.
—Timothy Depeugh, Charlotte Observer, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sultry
Cite this Entry
“Sultry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sultry. Accessed 1 Aug. 2025.
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