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
Wearing a pair of black shorts and a cross necklace, the young star stares directly at the camera while striking a sultry pose.
—Michael Nied, People.com, 20 June 2025
The Waterfront, all eight episodes of which drop today on Netflix, fits swimmingly into the sweaty and sultry pattern established by summer-premiering series like Snowfall, Claws, and Animal Kingdom before it.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 19 June 2025
Magical visions of sultry rainforests, emerald parrots and a confetti of petals sailing downstream, the mist is entwined with the verdancy of palm leaf and tropical flamingo flower.
—Angelina Villa-Clarke, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
Lydia stands out by being the sultry bad girl and kind of secretly helps set the queens matching villain aesthetic.
—Chris Feil, Vulture, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sultry
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Michael Nied, People.com, 20 June 2025
The Waterfront, all eight episodes of which drop today on Netflix, fits swimmingly into the sweaty and sultry pattern established by summer-premiering series like Snowfall, Claws, and Animal Kingdom before it.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 19 June 2025
Magical visions of sultry rainforests, emerald parrots and a confetti of petals sailing downstream, the mist is entwined with the verdancy of palm leaf and tropical flamingo flower.
—Angelina Villa-Clarke, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
Lydia stands out by being the sultry bad girl and kind of secretly helps set the queens matching villain aesthetic.
—Chris Feil, Vulture, 6 June 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 5 Jul. 2025.
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