sultry — [adj1] hot and humid baking, broiling, burning, close, hot, mucky, muggy, oppressive, red hot*, scorching, sizzling, smothering, soggy, sticky, stifling, stuffy, suffocating, sweltering, sweltry, torrid, wet; concepts 525,605 Ant. cool, dry… … New thesaurus
sultry — 1590s, oppressively hot, close and moist (of weather), from obs. verb sulter to swelter (1580s), alteration of SWELTER (Cf. swelter). Fig. sense of hot with lust is attested from 1704; of women, lascivious, sensual, arousing desire it is recorded … Etymology dictionary
sultry — ► ADJECTIVE (sultrier, sultriest) 1) (of the weather) hot and humid. 2) displaying or suggesting passion; provocative. ORIGIN from obsolete sulter «swelter» … English terms dictionary
sultry — [sul′trē] adj. sultrier, sultriest [var. of SWELTRY] 1. oppressively hot and moist; close; sweltering 2. extremely hot; fiery 3. a) hot or inflamed, as with passion or lust b) suggesting or expressing smoldering passio … English World dictionary
sultry — sul|try [ˈsʌltri] adj [Date: 1500 1600; Origin: sulter to be uncomfortably hot (16 17 centuries), from swelter] 1.) weather that is sultry is hot with air that feels wet = ↑humid ▪ a hot and sultry day ▪ Since the rain, the air had become heavy… … Dictionary of contemporary English
sultry — sultrily, adv. sultriness, n. /sul tree/, adj., sultrier, sultriest. 1. oppressively hot and close or moist; sweltering: a sultry day. 2. oppressively hot; emitting great heat: the sultry sun. 3. characterized by or associated with sweltering… … Universalium
sultry — [[t]sʌ̱ltri[/t]] 1) ADJ GRADED: usu ADJ n Sultry weather is hot and damp. [WRITTEN] The climax came one sultry August evening. 2) ADJ GRADED Someone who is sultry is attractive in a way that suggests hidden passion. [WRITTEN] ...a dark haired… … English dictionary
sultry — adjective (sultrier; est) Etymology: obsolete English sulter to swelter, alteration of English swelter Date: 1594 1. a. very hot and humid ; sweltering < a sultry day > b. burning hot ; torrid … New Collegiate Dictionary
sultry — adjective 1 weather that is sultry is unpleasantly hot with no wind 2 a woman who is sultry makes other people feel strong sexual attraction to her: a sultry look sultriness noun (U) … Longman dictionary of contemporary English
sultry — sul•try [[t]ˈsʌl tri[/t]] adj. tri•er, tri•est 1) oppressively hot and close or humid; sweltering: a sultry day[/ex] 2) oppressively hot; emitting great heat: the sultry sun[/ex] 3) characterized by or arousing passion: sultry eyes[/ex] •… … From formal English to slang
