Sweltering describes heat so intense it makes you uncomfortable and sweaty. On a sweltering summer day, the air feels thick and heavy, making even simple activities exhausting. You might step outside and immediately feel sweat forming on your forehead, wishing you could dive into a pool or hide in an air-conditioned room.

The word captures oppressive, overwhelming heat. A warm day is pleasant; a sweltering day makes you miserable. Think of that moment in late July when the temperature hits 95 degrees, humidity makes the air feel like a wet blanket, and you can barely stand to move. That's sweltering weather.

You might describe a crowded gymnasium during a summer basketball game as sweltering, or complain about your sweltering bedroom on a night when the air conditioning breaks. The word often appears in descriptions of tropical climates, heat waves, or any place where the heat becomes almost unbearable. When meteorologists warn about sweltering conditions, they're telling people to stay hydrated and find ways to cool down, because this kind of heat can actually be dangerous.