intense heat; severe heat; extreme heat
A noun for dangerously or oppressively severe heat, especially in summer. It is a little more formal or report-like than everyday 暑さ.
Antonyms: 酷寒
This year the intense heat has continued, and more people are falling ill.
This summer, the intense heat has continued.
酷暑の中での作業は危険だ。
Working in severe heat is dangerous.
Many runners completed the marathon in the midst of the intense heat.
Let's stay well hydrated to get through this intense heat.
Last week this region was hit by record-breaking intense heat.
暑さ is the plain, everyday word for heat or hot weather, whereas 酷暑 specifically refers to dangerously extreme heat.
酷暑 refers specifically to intense summer heat, while 灼熱 can describe scorching heat of any object, weather, or figurative intensity.
酷暑 is a formal term for severe heat often used in weather reports, while 炎天 is more descriptive and vividly conjures the blazing sun.
severe cold; bitter cold
extremely hot day (≥35°C) · extremely hot day (≥40°C)
A Sino-Japanese compound written with 酷, associated with severity or harshness, and 暑, heat or hot weather. The spelling directly reflects the meaning 'severe heat.'