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Synonyms

sweltering

American  
[swel-ter-ing] / ˈswɛl tər ɪŋ /

adjective

  1. suffering oppressive heat.

  2. characterized by oppressive heat; sultry.

sweltering British  
/ ˈswɛltərɪŋ /

adjective

  1. oppressively hot and humid

    a sweltering day
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • swelteringly adverb
  • unsweltering adjective

Etymology

Origin of sweltering

First recorded in 1565–75; swelter + -ing 2

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.

When the grid goes out on a sweltering night, so does his fan, he said.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

Benfica's win against Bayern Munich in Charlotte was played at 15:00 local time in sweltering 36C conditions.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

Heavy infrastructure damage from the U.S. bombing led to chronic and constant failure of the electric and water systems in major cities — making them almost unlivable, especially in the sweltering summers.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 7, 2026

Lyberth said the cool climate was "very good for leafy greens", in contrast to Europe's sweltering, drought-wracked summers.

From Barron's • Feb. 17, 2026

It was a stiflingly hot August day, and the apartment, a tenth the size of their house on Shogund Street, was sweltering.

From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai

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.