damp heat
Sticky tropical air
Damp heat combines moisture and warmth—the sticky, oppressive atmosphere of a summer afternoon before a thunderstorm or a poorly ventilated bathroom after a shower.
The phrase describes conditions where humidity prevents sweat from evaporating: The damp heat of the tropics was unbearable.
In traditional Chinese medicine, damp heat is a pathological condition causing symptoms like skin eruptions, digestive problems, or urinary issues.
- muggyUnpleasantly warm and humid
- humidContaining much moisture
- stickyApt to adhere
- steamyHot, moist, or erotic
- swelteringExtremely hot, uncomfortably so
hot and humid · tropical · tropical climate · sultry · dog days · clammy · moist · perspiration · sweat · sauna · steam room · greenhouse · monsoon · wet season · jungle · oppressive · suffocating · haze