sultrier; sultriest
1
a
: very hot and humid : sweltering
a sultry day
b
: burning hot : torrid
a sultry sun
2
a
: hot with passion or anger
b
: exciting or capable of exciting strong sexual desire
sultry glances
Examples of sultry in a Sentence
In the one Manet Stephen owned, Young Woman Reclining in Spanish Costume (1862–1863), the plump young model provokes us with her sultry gaze, her awkward semi-recumbent position, her casually defiant cross-dressing in a male torero's shiny trousers, and the come-hither implication of her highlighted hands …
—
John Updike, New York Review of Books, 5 Oct. 2006
As the fireflies entertain humans all summer long with a magical light show, they are actually cruising the sultry nights in search of love. "Male fireflies fly around flashing their advertisement," says evolutionary ecologist Sara Lewis of Tufts, one of the authors of the study, which appeared in the journal Science recently.
—Betsy Mason, Orlando Sentinel, 22 July 2001
In an age when the gangsta rapper is king and pubescent boy and girl groups rule the charts with a tough … version of adolescent bubble-gum pop, Toni Braxton is an anomaly. Her sultry good looks, rich, husky contralto and ability to deliver a line with such mature conviction make her seem older, more experienced than her 26 years.
—Gordon Chambers, Essence, April 1994
She looked at him with a sultry glance.
an actress with a sultry voice
John Updike, New York Review of Books, 5 Oct. 2006
As the fireflies entertain humans all summer long with a magical light show, they are actually cruising the sultry nights in search of love. "Male fireflies fly around flashing their advertisement," says evolutionary ecologist Sara Lewis of Tufts, one of the authors of the study, which appeared in the journal Science recently.
—Betsy Mason, Orlando Sentinel, 22 July 2001
In an age when the gangsta rapper is king and pubescent boy and girl groups rule the charts with a tough … version of adolescent bubble-gum pop, Toni Braxton is an anomaly. Her sultry good looks, rich, husky contralto and ability to deliver a line with such mature conviction make her seem older, more experienced than her 26 years.
—Gordon Chambers, Essence, April 1994
She looked at him with a sultry glance.
an actress with a sultry voice
Recent Examples on the Web
Alix Earle put a sultry spin on suiting at the Fanatics Super Bowl party on Saturday in New Orleans.
—Hannah Malach, WWD, 9 Feb. 2025
Music fans cast their votes in a poll published on Friday (Feb. 7) on Billboard, selecting the trio’s sultry new single as their favorite release of the past week.
—Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 9 Feb. 2025
With a sultry, woodsy appeal, Le Labo Another 13 smells like the remnants of a forest bath on the skin.
—Jenny Berg, Allure, 8 Feb. 2025
Her naked heart shoes, fiery copper hair and sultry smoky eye took the look to the next level.
—Anika Reed, USA TODAY, 7 Feb. 2025
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Hannah Malach, WWD, 9 Feb. 2025
Music fans cast their votes in a poll published on Friday (Feb. 7) on Billboard, selecting the trio’s sultry new single as their favorite release of the past week.
—Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 9 Feb. 2025
With a sultry, woodsy appeal, Le Labo Another 13 smells like the remnants of a forest bath on the skin.
—Jenny Berg, Allure, 8 Feb. 2025
Her naked heart shoes, fiery copper hair and sultry smoky eye took the look to the next level.
—Anika Reed, USA TODAY, 7 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for sultry
Articles Related to sultry
Dictionary Entries Near sultry
Cite this Entry
“Sultry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sultry. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.
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