Translation guide
Describes hot, humid, and uncomfortable weather, often with a sense of stickiness or oppressiveness.
蒸し暑いです。
It's muggy.
Describe weather that is hot, humid, and uncomfortable, like before a storm or in summer.
The most common and natural way to say 'muggy' in Japanese. Combines 'steamy' (蒸し) and 'hot' (暑い).
今日は蒸し暑いですね。
It's muggy today, isn't it?
蒸し暑い夜は寝苦しい。
On muggy nights, it's hard to sleep.
A colloquial, onomatopoeic verb that vividly expresses the muggy, sticky feeling. Often used in casual conversation.
外はむしむししてるね。
It's all muggy outside.
Kanji version of むしむしする, emphasizing the steamy, humid quality. Slightly more written in feel.
梅雨時は蒸し蒸しして不快だ。
During the rainy season, it's muggy and unpleasant.
A more analytical phrase: 'the humidity is high and it's hot.' Useful when you want to be explicit about humidity.
湿度が高くて暑いから、エアコンをつけよう。
It's muggy, so let's turn on the air conditioner.
Noun form meaning 'mugginess.' Used to talk about the quality itself.
暑い (あつい) simply means 'hot.' 蒸し暑い specifically means hot AND humid, with a sticky, oppressive feel. Use 蒸し暑い when the humidity makes the heat uncomfortable.
今日は暑いだけじゃなくて、蒸し暑い。
Today is not just hot, it's muggy.
湿っぽい (しめっぽい) means 'damp' or 'moist' and is used for things like clothes or rooms, but not for weather. For muggy weather, stick with 蒸し暑い or むしむしする.
この蒸し暑さには耐えられない。
I can't stand this mugginess.