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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.

Hundreds of people, including children, defied the sweltering heat to attend prayers.

From Barron's

About 10 miles south is the sweltering city of Cabimas, an iconic venue in Venezuela’s petroleum narrative.

From Los Angeles Times

Venues for both matches are yet to be confirmed but will reportedly be in Tampa, Miami or Orlando to allow the squad to acclimatise to what are expected to be sweltering conditions.

From Barron's

At last, we find the cool shade we longed for on our sweltering journey.

From Literature

Sinner was undoubtedly the biggest winner on a sweltering day where play was suspended and almost 100,000 fans were warned to take care in the heat.

From BBC

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.