SWELTERING Synonyms: 114 Similar and Opposite Words

sweltering 1 of 2

adjective

ˈswel-t(ə-)riŋ

Definition of sweltering

as in boiling

having a notably high temperature the air conditioning was broken, and it was sweltering in the office

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

In August, Rome is deserted as locals ditch the sweltering city for the sea, but everyone returns in the fall, refreshed and energized for the season ahead. — Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 21 Aug. 2026 That’s a lot of sweltering days, considering that the annual average is only about 37 days reaching 95 degrees or hotter. — Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Aug. 2026 This week, Miami hit 100 degrees for the first time since the 1800s, the latest in a slew of records broken this sweltering summer. — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2026 Others without roof access would sit and sometimes sleep on their firescapes to escape their sweltering hot boxes. — Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sweltering

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sweltering

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

Persistent drought and scorching heat this summer have ravaged ecosystems and businesses across the region, from a lake in Slovenia and the side channel of the Danube in Serbia, to fish farms in Bosnia, the Czech Republic, Romania and Hungary.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026
While cooler fall days may be on the horizon, many students returning to school are still dealing with scorching end-of-summer temperatures.

— Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of scorching

Adjective

Even with no rate increase, though, Tulsa electric bills would be spiking this year because of searing summer heat, with more than twice the average number of triple-digit days.

— Scott Horsley, NPR, 26 Aug. 2026
Clock hands circle predictably and calendar pages turn on schedule, but internally, within our bodies, minds and hearts, time is a whole different thing — discontinuous, wondrous, searing.

— Leah Ollman, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of searing

Verb

The bearded seal is just one of the many polar species whose future is closely tied to rising temperatures and melting ice.

— Sarah Kingdom, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
What is clear is that Earth’s glaciers are melting faster as a result of warming and that melting is destabilizing these glaciers—and the mountains that buttress them.

— Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of melting

Adjective

As seen above, even a hot pink top welcomes a playful edge to a classic plaid midi-skirt and chunky boots.

— India Roby, Glamour, 27 Aug. 2026
In May, officials in Kern County alone also reported a 42% loss in cherry production this year due to a hot stretch in March followed by April rain accounting for a total loss of more than $13 million for growers.

— Jonathan Destler, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of hot

Verb

And it’s been broiling along the coast, which typically offers a cooler respite from the heat.

— Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 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

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“Sweltering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sweltering. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of sweltering

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

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