SWELTERING Synonyms: 114 Similar and Opposite Words

sweltering 1 of 2

adjective

ˈswel-t(ə-)riŋ

Definition of sweltering

as in boiling

having a notably high temperature the air conditioning was broken, and it was sweltering in the office

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sweltering

2 of 2

verb

present participle of swelter

as in scorching

Related Words

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 sweltering

Adjective

The customer gulps it down in a single stretch and drops it into a bin – visible proof of his relief, at least for this moment, from the sweltering heat. — Light Oriye Tamunotonye, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Sep. 2026 In a sweltering apartment, that kind of drop can mean the difference between uncomfortable and unbearable. — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Sep. 2026 Michigan is forecast to experience a sweltering summer-like week, and officials have issued a heat advisory for southwest Michigan counties where the heat index is expected to reach 100 degrees. — Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 1 Sep. 2026 By the time Olivia Rodrigo hit the stage to headline the inaugural Daisy Chain Fields festival, the sun had set on a sweltering day, and anyone who was fading was sure to feel reenergized both from a welcome breeze and from Rodrigo’s set. — Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 30 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sweltering

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sweltering

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

Verb

When Cody Turcotte arrived to fight a wildfire scorching homes in Spokane, Washington, last month, there weren't enough people at the scene to control it.

— Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026
These hardy plants withstand extreme weather, from scorching heat to harsh winters.

— Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of scorching

Adjective

Every time our case is in the news, I am returned to that terrible day and the searing pain of the weeks, months and years that followed.

— Sharon Risher, New York Daily News, 15 Sep. 2026
In some ways, their combination of searing serves and counter-punching defense was revolutionary.

— Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of searing

Verb

That potential for change comes in part thanks to Nepal’s more than 6,000 rivers and streams that flow down from the mountains and are strengthened by monsoons and melting glaciers, which allow the country to run on 99% hydropower.

— Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2026
Waltz told Fox News Digital that the deal reflects the Arctic's growing strategic importance as melting ice opens new shipping routes and increases access to energy and mineral resources.

— Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of melting

Adjective

Tomica tells us Tiny Traitor Katie is reaching the Love Island crew (hot, young people).

— Alice Burton, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026
The technology is initially aimed at simple-cycle gas turbines, which generate electricity directly from hot combustion gases but release substantial amounts of remaining heat through their exhaust.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of hot

Verb

Temperatures in the area approached or exceeded triple digits Wednesday, amid a punishing heat wave that is broiling Southern California.

— Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Dozens of young people, including a twenty-one-year-old professional footballer, drowned while seeking relief in open water; three French children died in broiling cars.

— Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of broiling

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

Browse Nearby Words

sweltered

sweltering

swelters

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Sweltering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sweltering. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of sweltering

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

confabulate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

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

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 25

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes