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 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 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
  • But when the air is humid, people can’t shed heat as quickly, Swain said.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Mold thrives in warm, humid environments like bathrooms and kitchens and can be super damaging.
    — Lauren Bengtson, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of humid
Adjective
  • The searing season only exacerbated the Colorado River water crisis.
    — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The result is a book that, despite the searing and brutal honesty of its details, never becomes fully untethered from basic human tenderness.
    — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of searing
Adjective
  • Apply toothpaste directly to the mark in question using your finger, then use your damp cloth to work the stain out of the wall, drying things off when it’s completely lifted out.
    — Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Spot conceal as needed, using your fingers, a fluffy brush, or a damp beauty blender for a seamless look.
    — Calin Van Paris, InStyle, 4 Sep. 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
  • Its hot iron core -- oversized for such a small world -- cools and contracts along with the mantle and crust, tightening the surface like a girdle to fit its new slimmer self.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Planar coils simplify stellarator engineering Stellarators use magnetic fields to confine the extremely hot plasma required for fusion.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 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
  • The process, which recycles optical glass waste product, is a visceral and sensory practice, and speed and movement are key—malleable molten glass waits for no one.
    — Clare Coulson, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The molten iron could then be fed into the facility’s basic oxygen furnaces to create steel, according to the report.
    — Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 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 13 Sep. 2026.

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