-rē, -ri adjective
( -er/-est )
Etymology: obsolete English sulter to swelter (alteration of English swelter ) (I) + English -y
1.
a. : oppressively hot and humid : sweltering
a sultry day
sultry weather
sultry islands
b. : burning hot : torrid
sultry deserts
a sultry sun
2.
a. : hot with passion or anger
the meeting disperses with sultry mutterings — J.B.Boothroyd
: affected by, exciting, or capable of exciting strong sexual desire : passionate , sensual , voluptuous
a sultry actress
wish I could talk as low and throaty and sultry as she does — Calder Willingham
the music was sultry — Thurston Scott
b. : lurid , scabrous
sultry language
has a number of sultry comments to make about love — Douglas Watt