torrid
Americanadjective
adjective
-
so hot and dry as to parch or scorch
-
arid or parched
-
highly charged emotionally
a torrid love scene
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of torrid
1580–90; < Latin torridus dried up, parched, equivalent to torr ( ēre ) to parch, burn ( see torrent, thirst) + -idus -id 4
Explanation
Torrid can mean "emotionally charged and passionate," like a torrid romance in a soap opera. But if you’re listening to a torrid band, you’re simply hearing musicians that have a lot of energy. Torrid is an adjective that can literally describe something extremely hot — like a torrid afternoon in the desert. It also describes something that's very energetic, or something that has an extreme emotional charge — which is why people often apply torrid to intense romantic relationships. Torrid comes from the Latin word torrere, meaning “parch or scorch.”
Vocabulary lists containing torrid
Term-ometer: Synonyms for "Hot"
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "T"
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Hamilton
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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.
Business investment, on the other hand, remained torrid.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
While he’s a terrific scene partner with Chandler, he also shares a torrid chemistry with Poorna Jagannathan’s Zoe, one of the very few nonwhite Rushville residents who’s immediately drawn to John.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
Hyperscalers are buying natural-gas-powered General Electric turbines and Caterpillar generators at a torrid rate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
Make no mistake, the head coach was under pressure after his side's torrid display in Kosovo last week.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
Only the yellower ones survived because they were more fit to survive the torrid weather.
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
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.
