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What Do torrid and Toast Have in Common?
Hot, steamy, sultry: English is full of words that do double-duty in describing thirst traps both literal (as in the tropics) and figurative (as in, well, thirst traps). Torrid comes from the Latin verb torrēre, which means “to burn” or “to parch” and is an ancestor of our word toast. (Despite its dry implications, torrēre is also an ancestor of torrent, as in “a torrent of rain.”) Torrid first appeared in English in the 16th century and was originally used to describe something burned or scorched by exposure to the sun, but it has since taken on an extended meaning similar to the “sexy” sense of hot: “showing fiery passion,” as in “torrid love letters” or “a torrid affair.”
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Examples of torrid in a Sentence
Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 16 Oct. 2024
After Teoscar Hernandez reached base, Edman continued his torrid play this series, knocking in both runners on a two-run double to give LA a 2-1 lead.
—Jacob Lev, CNN, 21 Oct. 2024
Originally built in 1750, it was beloved by the Qing dynasty’s infamous Empress Dowager Cixi (China’s de facto ruler for half a century) who would relocate here during Beijing’s torrid summers.
—Livia Hengel, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024
But the West Highland Way is also steeped in natural beauty, from its scattered and steep Munros to its torrid rivers and boggy grasslands.
—Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Torrid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/torrid. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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from Latin torridus "dried or burnt by heat, torrid," derived from torrēre "to heat so as to dry up or burn" — related to torrent
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