sweltry
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective: 1. Excessively hot and humid; causing or characterized by sweating and discomfort: Describes weather, a climate, or an environment that is oppressively and unpleasantly hot, often with high humidity that makes it difficult to breathe or feel cool. 2. Marked by sweating and faintness: Describes a state or condition resulting from exposure to such intense heat.
Usage and Examples
- Describing weather or climate:
- The sweltry afternoon made everyone seek shade and cold drinks.
- They endured a sweltry summer in the tropical city.
- Describing an environment or atmosphere:
- The basement was dark and sweltry.
- We opened the windows to relieve the sweltry air in the attic.
- Describing a physical state caused by heat:
- The sweltry conditions left the hikers exhausted. (Here, "sweltry" modifies "conditions," which caused the state.)
Advanced Usage Notes
- "Sweltry" is a descriptive, somewhat literary synonym for "sweltering." It is less common in everyday speech but carries the same intensity.
- It often implies a stagnant, suffocating heat rather than a dry, breezy one.
- The word can be used figuratively to describe a situation that feels oppressive or stifling, though this is less common.
- The sweltry tension in the meeting room was unbearable.
Variants and Related Words
- Sweltering (adj.): The more frequently used form with identical meaning.
- a sweltering day
- Swelter (verb): To suffer from or be oppressed by intense heat.
- Tourists sweltered in the long queues.
Synonyms
- Oppressive: Unpleasantly overwhelming, especially with heat.
- Sultry: Hot and humid (often with a connotation of being still and heavy).
- Stifling: So hot as to make breathing difficult; suffocating.
- Muggy: Warm and damp in an unpleasant way.
Antonyms
- Cool
- Frigid
- Bracing (invigoratingly cool)
- Crisp (pleasantly cool and fresh)
Adjective
- excessively hot and humid or marked by sweating and faintness
- a sweltering room
- sweltering athletes