sweltering 1 of 2

adjective

ˈswel-t(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce sweltering (audio)
Definition of swelteringnext
as in boiling
having a notably high temperature the air conditioning was broken, and it was sweltering in the office

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sweltering

2 of 2

verb

present participle of swelter
as in scorching

Related Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of sweltering
Adjective
On a sweltering morning last June, House Speaker Jon Burns made an announcement to a tense and packed Capitol atrium. — AJC.com, 18 Sep. 2026 Now, as weather shifts from the sweltering humidity of summer to crisp fall air, the boots are set to arrive just in time for the shift in seasons. — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 15 Sep. 2026 So do the engine, the drivetrain, the burning tires and the sweltering track surface. — Patrick Iversen, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026 The customer gulps it down in a single stretch and drops it into a bin – visible proof of his relief, at least for this moment, from the sweltering heat. — Light Oriye Tamunotonye, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sweltering
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sweltering
  1. boiling
  2. scorching
  3. searing
  4. melting
  5. hot
  6. broiling
  7. burning
  8. cooking
Adjective
  • More humane methods of killing lobsters pre-boiling include a sharp knife through the head, electrical stunning, or freezing.
    — semafor.com, semafor.com, 29 Dec. 2025
  • Agrawal and her team studied ionic liquids — salts that are liquid at sub-boiling temperatures (below 212 degrees Fahrenheit, or 100 degrees Celsius) — as a potential hospitable environment for life.
    — Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Definition of boiling
Verb
  • That was the update last week at a meeting of the Venus Exploration Analysis Group (VEXAG), a confab of scientists whose research interests focus on the scorching world just sunward from Earth.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Check between presses to avoid overheating or scorching the fabric.
    — Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of scorching
Adjective
  • After winning the prestigious Golden Eye, Plambech returns with another searing analysis of the immigrant experience.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The durable porcelain enamel exterior resists chipping and cracking, while the matte black interior enhances browning and searing.
    — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of searing
Verb
  • Importantly, the zero-melting scenario is an extreme modeling experiment, not a realistic prediction.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Which wet hole is the way out — and which leads to a pool of skin-melting digestive acid?
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of melting
Adjective
  • Credit stress at CoreWeave, concerns over corporate AI spending and another hot inflation report erased more than $1 trillion from 20 of the world's largest AI and semiconductor stocks this week.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Another hot Thursday rumor said that Rice also met recently with NBCUniversal about a post there.
    — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of hot
Verb
  • Temperatures in the area approached or exceeded triple digits Wednesday, amid a punishing heat wave that is broiling Southern California.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Dozens of young people, including a twenty-one-year-old professional footballer, drowned while seeking relief in open water; three French children died in broiling cars.
    — Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of broiling
Adjective
  • Prosecutors said some of the money was used for recruiting new members and purchasing Ku Klux Klan robes and materials for cross-burning ceremonies.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 July 2026
  • In the case of the cross-burning incident, there is no comparison to the Jussie Smollett case.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026
Definition of burning
Verb
  • But cooking with family doesn't always mean following the rules.
    — Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • And on top of that, many people don’t realize this and add even more salt while cooking with them.
    — Laura Bradley, HEALTH, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of cooking

Browse Nearby Words

sweltered
sweltering
swelters
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sweltering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sweltering. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All