adjective

sultry

SUHLT-ree

Sultry (adjective) means Hot and humid, with heavy, still air. Example: “It was a sultry afternoon with barely a breath of wind.”

adjective

Hot and humid, with heavy, still air.

"It was a sultry afternoon with barely a breath of wind."

Suggestive of intense passion or sexual attraction.

"She gave the camera a sultry look for the album cover."

How to use sultry

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishDescribing either oppressively hot, humid weather, or a smouldering, sexually charged appearance.

Common pairings

a sultry evening a sultry voice sultry weather

sultrier comparative, sultriest superlative

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It was a _____ afternoon with barely a breath of wind.

From an obsolete verb sulter, a variant of swelter, combined with -y.

poultry

What does “sultry” mean?

The word “sultry” means hot and humid, with heavy, still air.

How do you pronounce “sultry”?

“Sultry” is pronounced SUHLT-ree (/ˈsʌltɹi/ in IPA).

How do you use “sultry” in a sentence?

Here is “sultry” used in a sentence: “It was a sultry afternoon with barely a breath of wind.”

What part of speech is “sultry”?

“Sultry” is an adjective.

How many meanings does “sultry” have?

“Sultry” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: hot and humid, with heavy, still air.