sultry

sultry
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 from 1940.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Sultry — Sul try (s[u^]l tr[y^]), a. [Compar. {Sultrier} (s[u^]l tr[i^]*[ e]r); superl. {Sultriest}.] [From {Sweltry}.] 1. Very hot, burning, and oppressive; as, Libya s sultry deserts. [1913 Webster] Such as, born beneath the burning sky And sultry sun,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 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 — ► 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

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