Definition of TORRID

Other Words from torrid

torridity \ tȯ-ˈri-də-tē

\ noun

torridly \ ˈtȯr-əd-lē

, ˈtär- \ adverb

torridness noun

What Do torrid and Toast Have in Common?

Torrid derives from the Latin verb torrēre, which means "to burn" or "to parch" and is an ancestor of our word toast. Despite the dry implications of this root, it is also an ancestor of "torrent," which can refer to a violent stream of liquid (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. The term "torrid zone" later came about to refer to tropical regions of the Earth. By the end of that century the word had taken on the extended meaning that we know today - suggesting fiery passion.

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 22-year-old was previously a target for Arsenal when Arsene Wenger was in charge and experienced a torrid time in Catalonia last season, managing just 15 league appearances. — SI.com, "Arsenal Still Focused on Signing Wilfried Zaha Despite Links With Malcom and Lucas Vasquez," 5 July 2019 Her ability to spark the transition helped the Eagles play at a torrid pace, which opposing defenses usually couldn’t match. — Rich Scherr, baltimoresun.com, "2019 All-Metro girls lacrosse Player of the Year: Blair Pearre, McDonogh," 20 June 2019 Zeffirelli, 96, whose life, like his productions, was full of grand characters, outsize passions, temperamental rages and torrid love affairs, died Saturday in Rome. — David Colker, latimes.com, "Italian director Franco Zeffirelli, acclaimed in film, theater and opera, dies at 96," 15 June 2019 According to the Daily Mail, Arsenal boss Unai Emery is a huge fan of Tierney and sees him as the perfect signing to help them bounce back from their torrid end to last season. — SI.com, "Arsenal Step Up Pursuit of Celtic Star Kieran Tierney With £20m Bid Expected," 19 June 2019 Padres relievers, on the other hand, had less trouble shutting the door on Colorado’s recently torrid offense, at least in the later innings. — Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post, "Rockies Mailbag: Should Coors Field be considered the most wild ballpark in baseball?," 18 June 2019 Going forward, there must be reform urgency stemming from the new knowledge that growth has been tepid, not torrid. — Nupur Anand, Quartz India, "Modi’s former top economist says India overestimated its GDP growth numbers," 11 June 2019 Predicted Lineups China head into this monumental clash on a torrid run of four straight defeats, the most recent of which coming in their final warm up game, a 2-1 loss to this years' hosts France. — SI.com, "2019 Women's World Cup - Matchday 2 Preview: Where to Watch, Live Stream, Kick Off Time & Team News," 6 June 2019 Various computer model forecasts suggest that the second half of the month will turn markedly less hot, partially offsetting the torrid start. — Matt Rogers, Washington Post, "July outlook: The month kicks off like a firecracker but heat should ease in second half," 29 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'torrid.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.