sauna
Americannoun
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a bath that uses dry heat to induce perspiration, and in which steam is produced by pouring water on heated stones.
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a bathhouse or room, usually of wood, equipped for such a bath.
verb (used without object)
noun
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an invigorating bath originating in Finland in which the bather is subjected to hot steam, usually followed by a cold plunge or by being lightly beaten with birch twigs
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the place in which such a bath is taken
Etymology
Origin of sauna
Borrowed into English from Finnish around 1880–85
Explanation
A sauna is a small therapeutic hot room. Some people use a sauna at the gym or pool, where they sit and relax, enjoying the cleansing heat. If there’s a separate steam room, then the sauna provides dry heat. In many Scandinavian countries, saunas are very common — in Finland, it's not unusual to have a sauna in or attached to your house. People who enjoy saunas find the steam, usually created by pouring water onto hot rocks, to be very relaxing and to have health benefits as well. The word sauna is Finnish, used to refer to both the structure of the room and the steam bath itself.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
There are now more than 400 saunas in the UK, according to the British Sauna Association, a sharp rise from just a few years ago.
From BBC • Oct. 16, 2025
Capitol Hill’s Hothouse Spa & Sauna is a gender-inclusive space that exclusively offers private bookings.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 20, 2024
“More people are at home, they aren’t spending money like they used to — going to shows or on vacation or at movies,” said Corey Smee, 30, manager at Health Mate Sauna.
From New York Times • Dec. 12, 2020
It is pretty much 1000 sqf IR Sauna.
From The Guardian • Jul. 17, 2019
Every house in the country, however humble that house may be, boasts its bastu, or bath-house, called in Finnish Sauna.
From Through Finland in Carts by Alec-Tweedie, Mrs. (Ethel)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
