sauna
Americannoun
-
a bath that uses dry heat to induce perspiration, and in which steam is produced by pouring water on heated stones.
-
a bathhouse or room, usually of wood, equipped for such a bath.
verb (used without object)
noun
-
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
-
the place in which such a bath is taken
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
Another space has been dedicated to wellness and fitness, complete with a workout machine and an at-home sauna.
From MarketWatch • May 26, 2026
The new offering will likely include an infrared sauna and a red light therapy bed, among other things.
From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026
“The primary suite on the first floor features a 900-square-foot bedroom and a 1,000-square-foot spa-style bathroom, equipped with a Finnish dry sauna and steam sauna imported from Finland,” the listing reads.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 23, 2026
We hiked, biked, relaxed in the spa sauna and sampled the signature Bled cream cake.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
Your clothes stuck to your body like you had stepped out of a sauna.
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
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.
