SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
sultry
adjective
Oppressively hot and humid; sometimes describing an intensely sensual appearance or manner.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Hot and humid
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topSultry usually combines oppressive heat with moisture. Humid need not be hot, and torrid can describe intense dry heat.
Intensely sensual
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topThis figurative sense concerns an appearance or manner. Passionate describes intensity of feeling and need not imply seduction.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See sultry in use
The sultry afternoon made the shaded reading room especially welcome.
A sultry carriage later felt oppressively hot and humid, with damp air lingering despite the open doorway at a station.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license