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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 Think outfits that cleverly combine the sultry relaxation of resortwear with the maximalist slinkiness of cocktail attire. — Kevin Huynh, InStyle, 13 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 The Amalfi Coast is famously sultry, comprising 13 villages that are sprinkled along a rugged shore. — Natalie Hammond, Condé Nast Traveler, 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
  • Wednesday is hot and humid with heat indices peaking in the triple digits.
    — Garfield Hylton, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Aug. 2026
  • While the worst issues were discovered at the Sleep Inn, site visits at the Holiday Inn and Fairfield Inn also revealed water stains, humid laundry facilities and signs of pests.
    — Renee Anderson, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of humid
Adjective
  • The searing heat wave across Europe has driven the union to call for museums to close when temperatures reach 86 degrees Fahrenheit and to institute heat mitigation measures for back-of-house staff.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The return journey sends whatever object (or whoever's on board) through our atmosphere at searing speeds and even more searing temperatures.
    — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of searing
Adjective
  • Use a damp microfiber cloth to wipe away the loosened gum and any soapy residue.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Fungus gnats thrive in damp potting soil, laying eggs that develop into larvae feeding on fungi and organic matter.
    — Leah Chester-Davis, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Aug. 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
  • The latest scorcher comes after Western Europe recorded its hottest June and July on record, according to Copernicus, the European Union’s climate monitor.
    — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • In 2012, American entrepreneur Christopher Burch and hot-shot hotelier James McBride took over and zhuzhed it up to the tune of 30 million dollars, launching Nihi into the league of one-percenter hideaways.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Aug. 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
  • These materials are turned into homogeneous molten glass at temperatures exceeding 1,500°C (2,700°F).
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Scientists found them by dissolving away the mud and counting microscopic glass shards, remnants of the molten magma the eruption atomized into ultra-fine and rapidly cooling dust.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of molten

Browse Nearby Words

sultriness
sultry
sum
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Sultry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sultry. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on sultry

Nglish: Translation of sultry for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of vacuous

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All