noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'
sultry weather; hot and muggy with light overcast
Describes oppressive summer heat when the sky is slightly overcast, there is little wind, and humidity is high. Often used in weather reports or seasonal descriptions.
It's been sultry since this morning; I'm sweating even when I stay still.
On that sultry afternoon, I heard thunder in the distance.
Standard spelling with regular okurigana.
Irregular okurigana variant; less common but attested.
Compound of 油 (abura, 'oil') and 照り (teri, 'shining, glare'), suggesting a sticky, oppressive heat that feels like being coated in oil. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the imagery is vivid and conventional.