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 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 Ouai Ibiza Hair and Body Mist Ouai recently added two new body mists to their lineup, and Ibiza is the sultry, cocoa and rum gourmand-leaning scent of my dreams. — Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 13 June 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 Prime Video’s Spider-Noir set in the sultry crime world of Depression-era New York City, follows an older Spider-Man, Ben Reilly, now working as a private investigator after leaving his superhero past behind him. — Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 30 May 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
  • When perspiration cannot evaporate in humid air, moisture clings to the skin and body temperature climbs rapidly, according to the Mayo Clinic.
    — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 1 July 2026
  • Winner goes to the Round of 16 (in a different, hopefully less humid city).
    — Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of humid
Adjective
  • On Wednesday, New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch outlined a slew of challenges facing the city this weekend, including huge Independence Day celebrations, a World Cup match and a searing heat wave.
    — Jake Offenhartz, Fortune, 2 July 2026
  • What began as searing pain in one of his arms was now a relentless ache in his chest.
    — Tara Bannow, STAT, 29 June 2026
Definition of searing
Adjective
  • Larval fireflies spend their time underground or under damp logs and leaf litter.
    — Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 5 July 2026
  • Heat-protectant oils Some oils require application on damp hair or hair that’s about to be dried—those would be heat-protecting oils.
    — Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 5 July 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
  • July 4th will be far hotter than normal for many and will follow several days in a row of intense heat.
    — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • Be vigilant about never leaving young children and pets in vehicles without supervision, especially during periods of intense heat, as car interiors can quickly become extremely hot.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 3 July 2026
Definition of hot
Adjective
  • In the case of the cross-burning incident, there is no comparison to the Jussie Smollett case.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026
  • Some people drove or walked by, staring, and a video of the cross-burning gained traction online.
    — Hallie Golden, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026
Definition of burning
Adjective
  • Workers feed iron ore, coal and limestone into the furnaces’ top and use long sticks to punch open holes for purified molten iron to flow out from the bottom.
    — John Lippert, Chicago Tribune, 28 June 2026
  • The region’s glassmakers are known for their technical precision, decorative skill and ability to turn molten glass into objects of remarkable delicacy.
    — Lea Lane, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
Definition of molten

Browse Nearby Words

sultriness
sultry
sum
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sultry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sultry. Accessed 8 Jul. 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 gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

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
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All