Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Sultry: Describes weather that is oppressively hot and humid, causing discomfort and a feeling of being unable to breathe easily. It implies a heavy, stagnant heat.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Trời nồng nực. (The weather is sultry.)
  • Buổi chiều mùa hè thật nồng nực. (The summer afternoon is truly sultry.)
  • Không khí trong phòng nồng nực khó chịu. (The air in the room is unpleasantly sultry.)

Advanced Usage

• Used primarily to describe atmospheric conditions (weather, climate, air in a room). It is more intense than simply "nóng" (hot), as it combines heat with high humidity and a lack of air movement.

Variants and Related Words

• Oi bức (adj): Another common synonym for sultry, stifling, or muggy.

  • Thời tiết oi bức. (The weather is muggy.)

• Ngột ngạt (adj): stifling, suffocating; can describe heat but also metaphorical situations.

  • Căn phòng ngột ngạt. (The room is stifling.)

Synonyms

• Sultry: Hot and humid.
• Stifling: So hot it feels suffocating.
• Muggy: Warm and damp in an unpleasant way.
• Oppressive: Unpleasantly overwhelming heat.

Related Idioms

• While "nồng nực" itself is not typically part of idioms, it describes the condition central to expressions like:
  • Nóng như lửa đốt: Hot as burning fire (emphasizing intense dry heat).
  • Oi ả: A poetic or literary term for sultry weather.

1. Sultry
   • Trời nồng nực
     The weather is sultry