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View synonyms for swelter

swelter

[ swel-ter ]

verb (used without object)

  1. to suffer from oppressive heat.


verb (used with object)

  1. to oppress with heat.
  2. Archaic. to exude, as venom.

noun

  1. a sweltering condition.

swelter

/ ˈswɛltə /

verb

  1. intr to suffer under oppressive heat, esp to sweat and feel faint
  2. archaic.
    tr to exude (venom)
  3. rare.
    tr to cause to suffer under oppressive heat
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a sweltering condition (esp in the phrase in a swelter )
  2. oppressive humid heat
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Words From

  • un·sweltered adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of swelter1

1375–1425; late Middle English swelt ( e ) ren (v.), equivalent to swelt ( en ) to be overcome with heat ( Old English sweltan to die; cognate with Old Norse svelta, Gothic swiltan ) + -eren -er 6
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Word History and Origins

Origin of swelter1

C15 swelten, from Old English sweltan to die; related to Old Norse svelta to starve, Old High German swelzan to burn with passion; see sultry
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Example Sentences

And he finds gripping ways to keep those centuries-old resentments bubbling at the surface until they reach a sweltering boil.

From Salon

For her and others who looked like her, the Loma Alta pool served as a refuge from both the lingering racism and the sweltering summers of the small town in the San Gabriel Mountain foothills.

They died inside and out of prison, stabbed beneath the sweltering Central Valley sun and gunned down on darkened streets in Pomona, Lomita and Lancaster.

For her – and most Australians – cooling off on a sweltering day means a solid drive to the coast, plus an eternity trying to find a parking space.

From BBC

It was a sweltering morning and the sun shone on the Nile as the clamorous city was rousing to life.

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swellingsweltering