torrid

adjective

tor·​rid ˈtȯr-əd 

ˈtär-

1

a

: parched with heat especially of the sun : hot

torrid sands

b

: giving off intense heat : scorching

2

: ardent, passionate

torrid love letters

torridity

tȯ-ˈri-də-tē 

noun

torridly

ˈtȯr-əd-lē 

ˈtär-

adverb

torridness noun

Did you know?

What Do torrid and Toast Have in Common?

Hot, steamy, sultry: English is full of words that do double-duty in describing thirst traps both literal (as in the tropics) and figurative (as in, well, thirst traps). Torrid comes from the Latin verb torrēre, which means “to burn” or “to parch” and is an ancestor of our word toast. (Despite its dry implications, torrēre is also an ancestor of torrent, as in “a torrent of rain.”) Torrid first appeared in English in the 16th century and was originally used to describe something burned or scorched by exposure to the sun, but it has since taken on an extended meaning similar to the “sexy” sense of hot: “showing fiery passion,” as in “torrid love letters” or “a torrid affair.”

Synonyms

• searing
• boiling
• hot
• burning
• molten

Examples of torrid in a Sentence

The team had a torrid time trying to score.

the dry, torrid summers in southern Arizona

Recent Examples on the Web

The Twins entered this weekend’s series against National League border rival Milwaukee with some torrid hitters. —John Shipley, Twin Cities, 21 June 2025

Aaron Nesmith scored 20 points — and made six 3-pointers — during a torrid fourth quarter to set up Haliburton’s clutch basket. —Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 22 May 2025

The Whitecaps’ torrid start has been muted in recent weeks, winning just two of their last eight that included a soul-crushing 5-0 defeat at Mexico’s Cruz Azul in the final of the CONCACAF Champions Cup on June 1 and a 2-1 loss at Columbus Crew in their last league game. —Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 June 2025

Sheets earned his way into being an everyday player with a torrid start to May, which included some big hits against lefties. —Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French & Latin; French torride, going back to Middle French, borrowed from Latin torridus "dried by exposure to heat, parched, scorched," adjective derivative from the stem of torreō, torrēre "to heat so as to dry, scorch, parch" — more at thirst entry 1

First Known Use

1545, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing torrid

• torrid zone

Rhymes for torrid

• florid
• horrid

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

torrid

adjective

tor·​rid ˈtȯr-əd 

ˈtär-

: very hot and usually dry

torridly adverb

Etymology

from Latin torridus "dried or burnt by heat, torrid," derived from torrēre "to heat so as to dry up or burn" — related to torrent

Word Origin

The Latin verb torrēre, meaning "to heat so as to dry up or burn," gave rise to two quite different English words. They are torrid and torrent. The Latin adjective torridus, meaning "dried or burnt by heat," was formed from torrēre. It became our torrid. Another Latin adjective, torrens, meaning "scorching, burning," was also formed from torrēre. It, however, gained a second sense of "flowing with great force and speed, rushing." This second sense led to the use of torrens as a noun for "a rushing or violent stream." This noun was borrowed into English as torrent. It came to refer not only to rushing water, but also to any kind of outpouring, such as of words, information, sounds, or feelings.