muggy
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of muggy
1725–35; mug to drizzle (noun and v.) (< Scandinavian; compare Old Norse mugga mist, drizzle) + -y 1
Explanation
Think of hot, humid, steamy weather as being so unpleasant that you feel "mugged" by it when you step outside. That's one way to remember the meaning of muggy. "It's not the heat! It's the humidity!" That's what your grandma says when she wants to complain about muggy weather. Muggy means a combination of humidity and heat that makes you sweaty and uncomfortable and long for air-conditioning. You might be cursing the cold and the snow today, but mark my words, come August and the muggy dog days of summer, you'll be nostalgic for the cold.
Vocabulary lists containing muggy
The Sweltering Words of Summer
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
English Words Derived from Old Norse
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Kindred
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
The conditions may also make coastal California feel more humid and muggy because of the loss of cooling fog and because warmer air holds more moisture, according to Swain.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026
Still, the muggy morning session has the Bula FC squad sweating heavily at the club's base in Ba, a town on Fiji's main island in a northern coastal area known for its sugarcane farms.
From Barron's • Feb. 5, 2026
It can feel like I’m in a muggy rainforest, even in an air-conditioned room.
From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 27, 2025
As humidity builds, the nights will also turn warm and muggy which could make it uncomfortable for sleeping.
From BBC • Jul. 9, 2025
It was an oppressively hot and muggy day, and it was sweltering inside the crowded space of Independence Hall.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
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.
