sweltering

adjective

swel·​ter·​ing ˈswel-t(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce sweltering (audio)
: oppressively hot
swelteringly adverb

Examples of sweltering in a Sentence

the air conditioning was broken, and it was sweltering in the office
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
On the sweltering night of Aug. 22, 2022, Hollis is plunked down on a seat outside the back door of the station near Daniel Taveras, who was popped driving into his own neighborhood. Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2025 During a sweltering week in March 1906, American soldiers ascended Bud Dajo, a 2,000-foot volcano on the island of Jolo in the southern Philippines. Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025 On a plane, the morning after the night before, on a sweltering hot summer’s day, or shortly after consuming a salty feast… all scenarios commonly associated with the dreaded puffy face. Hannah Coates, Vogue, 7 Jan. 2025 Bill and his 22-year-old son, Scott, were 30 minutes into a five-hour drive from rural Connecticut to South Jersey and already parked on I-84 West in a traffic jam on a sweltering August 1978 weekend. Bill Keenan, airmail.news, 17 Feb. 2024 See All Example Sentences for sweltering

Word History

First Known Use

1566, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sweltering was in 1566

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Cite this Entry

“Sweltering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweltering. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

sweltering

adjective
swel·​ter·​ing
: very hot
swelteringly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on sweltering

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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