swelter

1 of 2

verb

swel·​ter ˈswel-tər 

sweltered; sweltering ˈswel-t(ə-)riŋ 

intransitive verb

1

: to suffer, sweat, or be faint from heat

2

: to become exceedingly hot

in summer, the place swelters

transitive verb

1

: to oppress with heat

2

archaic : exude

Sweltered venom …

—William Shakespeare

swelter

2 of 2

noun

1

: a state of oppressive heat

2

: welter

3

: an excited or overwrought state of mind : sweat

in a swelter

Synonyms of swelter

Noun

• sweat
• panic
• huff
• fuss

Examples of swelter in a Sentence

Verb

We were sweltering in the summer heat.

Noun

the set designer spent the entire week before opening night in a swelter

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Players had to contend with difficult conditions this summer, from challenging altitudes to sweltering heat and humidity. — Mark Carey, New York Times, 21 July 2026

Meanwhile, hundreds of millions of people in the US and Europe have sweltered beneath relentless heat domes that have resulted in thousands of excess deaths in Europe alone. — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 20 July 2026

Noun

The San Joaquin Valley swelters Temperatures could rise to nearly 110 degrees in portions of the San Joaquin Valley over the next three afternoons. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026

As the East Coast, South and Midwest swelter under the extreme heat during the July Fourth weekend, energy experts and leaders are warning for the potential of power outages. — Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 3 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English sweltren, frequentative of swelten to die, be overcome by heat, from Old English sweltan to die; akin to Goth swiltan to die

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1851, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for swelter

• belter
• melter
• shelter
• skelter
• smelter
• spelter
• welter

Kids Definition

swelter

1 of 2 verb

swel·​ter ˈswel-tər 

sweltered; sweltering -t(ə-)riŋ 

1

: to suffer, sweat, or be faint from heat

2

: to overcome with heat

swelter

2 of 2 noun

: a state of great heat