sultry — very hot and humid; suggesting passion or sensuality
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: very hot and humid; suggesting passion or sensuality
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈsʌltri/
Example Sentences
- The sultry jazz singer made everyone forget about the air conditioning breaking down.
- Even the ice cream melted in the sultry afternoon heat.
- Her sultry performance made the audience forget they were in a sweltering theater.
sultry
ADJECTIVE[/ˈsʌltri/]
very hot and humid; suggesting passion or sensuality
very hot and humid; suggesting passion or sensuality
Sultry weather makes caring for poultry quite a feat
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Sultry derives from the 16th century English verb 'swelter,' meaning to suffer from oppressive heat. Originally describing hot, humid weather, the word evolved in the 20th century to acquire a secondary sense of sensual or alluring, likely through metaphorical association with the intensity and passion evoked by sweltering conditions.
Breakdown
swelter (to suffer from heat) + -y (adjective suffix) = sultry. The morphological transformation involves the verb 'swelter' combined with the adjectival suffix '-y,' creating an adjective describing both climatic heat and, metaphorically, passionate intensity.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The sultry jazz singer made everyone forget about the air conditioning breaking down.”
“Even the ice cream melted in the sultry afternoon heat.”
“Her sultry performance made the audience forget they were in a sweltering theater.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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