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

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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 concourse at the stadium is packed with people standing and watching TVs playing the game, adding to the sweltering heat. — The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 12 July 2026 Belgium has defended well up to this point but will be getting tired under this sweltering heat. — Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 10 July 2026 Counsell replied before the game in the sweltering Cubs dugout. — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2026 After a long day of running errands in the sweltering Southern heat, there's something cathartic about rewarding all your hard work with a cold, soothing spoonful of your favorite frozen treat. — Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 10 July 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

Often if calcium levels in the soil are too low, plants would also be exhibiting signs of deficiency including stunted growth, curling of leaves and perhaps spotting or scorching on leaves.

— Dawn Pettinelli, Hartford Courant, 19 July 2026
But beyond the numbers — buoyed by a scorching 7 of 9 showing in two games at the California Classic — his form looks sound.

— Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 19 July 2026

Definition of scorching

Adjective

Von Carolsfeld doesn’t attempt a sweeping indictment of the criminal justice system, but rather produces a devastatingly accurate portrait of the searing human complicity that allows some monsters to roam free.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 22 July 2026
If random disclosure of common-sense-defying detail is your idea of a searing, poignant journey into the light of faith, there’s more where that came from.

— Matthew Walther, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026

Definition of searing

Verb

Lastly, spring brings a different kind of atmosphere, with wildflowers beginning to bloom, rushing streams swelling with melting snow, and wildlife becoming more active after the colder months.

— Abby Price, Travel + Leisure, 19 July 2026
Against this show, college dorm room posters of melting clocks feel utterly denuded, with regrets to the angsty teens pinning them up.

— Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of melting

Adjective

The grandstands were packed with over 300,000 fans who would brave the very hot and humid Indiana weather in August.

— Bruce Martin, Forbes.com, 24 July 2026
While there’s seemingly no shortage of players and other team employees willing to complain publicly about day-to-day decision-making within the league, Engelbert’s overall job security remains too hot for most to handle.

— Annie Costabile, New York Times, 24 July 2026

Definition of hot

Verb

For more than a year, an uncontrolled fire had burned in the bowels of the dump, broiling old garbage and sending nauseating fumes into nearby homes.

— Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026
Those who turn to methods like broiling and roasting when cooking will be prone to more buildup in their oven, Murphy explains, due to the way heat breaks down oil and fat.

— Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 2 July 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

Verb

As the risk of infection continues, Connecticut residents are urged to continue washing all produce in running water, scrubbing firm fruits and, to be safest, cooking produce to 158 degrees.

— Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 18 July 2026
The chain recently transitioned to cooking exclusively with olive oil and imports pita bread directly from Greece.

— Melissa Oyler, Charlotte Observer, 18 July 2026

Definition of cooking

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“Sweltering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sweltering. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of sweltering

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

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