sultry

adjective

ˈsəl-trē How to pronounce sultry (audio)
Definition of sultrynext
1
as in humid
containing or characterized by an uncomfortable amount of moisture on really sultry days we go to the mall to hang out and cool off

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in searing
having a notably high temperature the incredibly dry, sultry desert air

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sultry But the mission isn’t the only thing on his mind; brief scenes of Adria Arjona’s investigator give a glimpse at the woman who is every bit Crown’s match in a sultry game of chess. — Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 29 July 2026 The Alta Moda closing show in Sicily saw the entertainer donning stunning, sultry custom looks for the supremely lavish celebration. — Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 17 July 2026 Or that Penélope Cruz’s sultry chilliness would jibe with either her male counterparts or Wilde’s diary-of-a-mad-housewife interpretation of a brittle, eager-to-impress woman brimming with creative frustration. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 26 June 2026 After a sultry stretch, weather conditions in parts of the Midwest and East are about to get more refreshing for the final week of the astronomical spring season. — Ben Noll, Washington Post, 15 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for sultry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sultry
  1. humid
  2. searing
  3. damp
  4. boiling
  5. hot
  6. burning
  7. molten
Adjective
  • Scientists debate the threshold beyond which the dense, humid Amazon rainforest could shift to a drier ecosystem, with irreversible consequences for biodiversity and the climate.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Temperature and Humidity Triostar Stromanthe tropical plants thrive in warm, humid environments.
    — Lauren David, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of humid
Adjective
  • Interviews are supplemented with archival clips of Perry’s screen work and interviews, and some of the show’s most searing material is conveyed in the actor’s own (previously recorded and publicized) voice.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The result of hours of chopping, searing, and mixing is our second annual Gear of the Year list.
    — Editors of Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of searing
Adjective
  • Next, take your damp sponge and, using the larger, rounded end, pick up the foundation from the back of your hand and tap the product into the skin.
    — Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 24 Oct. 2026
  • If the soil feels damp or the meter shows adequate moisture, check back in a couple of days.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of damp
Adjective
  • More humane methods of killing lobsters pre-boiling include a sharp knife through the head, electrical stunning, or freezing.
    — semafor.com, semafor.com, 29 Dec. 2025
  • Agrawal and her team studied ionic liquids — salts that are liquid at sub-boiling temperatures (below 212 degrees Fahrenheit, or 100 degrees Celsius) — as a potential hospitable environment for life.
    — Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Definition of boiling
Adjective
  • Expect hot dishes, a tapioca station, a generous bread spread, and free-flowing sparkling wine alongside an à la carte menu.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Oct. 2026
  • With less than one week to go before the midterm elections, soaring electricity bills have become a hot topic on the campaign trail.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of hot
Adjective
  • Prosecutors said some of the money was used for recruiting new members and purchasing Ku Klux Klan robes and materials for cross-burning ceremonies.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 July 2026
  • In the case of the cross-burning incident, there is no comparison to the Jussie Smollett case.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026
Definition of burning
Adjective
  • According to the University, Shao is examining the possibility of turning nuclear waste into a fuel using a thorium molten salt reactor under this project.
    — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Rather than dealing with molten salts and potential phase transition, 247Solar heats up ceramic pellets roughly the size of a golf ball.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of molten

Browse Nearby Words

sultriness
sultry
sum
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Cite this Entry

“Sultry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sultry. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

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