Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Sultry, oppressively hot: Describes weather or an atmosphere that is unpleasantly, uncomfortably, and often humidly hot, causing physical discomfort.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Thời tiết hôm nay thật nóng bức. (The weather today is really sultry.)
  • Căn phòng nhỏ trở nên nóng bức vì không có điều hòa. (The small room became oppressively hot because there was no air conditioner.)
  • Mùa hè ở đây rất nóng bức và ẩm ướt. (The summer here is very hot and humid.)

Advanced Usage

• Used figuratively to describe a tense, heated, or pressurized situation.
  • Bầu không khí trong cuộc họp thật nóng bức vì những tranh cãi. (The atmosphere in the meeting was heated because of the arguments.)

Variants and Related Words

• Nóng nực (adj): A near-synonym meaning hot and uncomfortable, often used interchangeably with "nóng bức."

  • Tôi cảm thấy nóng nực và bứt rứt. (I feel hot and restless.)

• Oi bức (adj): Specifically emphasizes stifling, windless, and humid heat.

  • Trời oi bức, sắp có mưa giông. (The air is stifling; a storm is coming.)

Synonyms

• Sweltering: Uncomfortably hot.
• Stifling: So hot it feels difficult to breathe.
• Muggy: Warm and damp in an unpleasant way.

Related Idioms

• Nóng như lửa đốt: As hot as being burned by fire (used for both temperature and intense feelings like anger or urgency).
  • Ngoài trời nóng như lửa đốt. (It's as hot as fire outside.)

1. Sultry, oppressively hot