adjective

boiling

Hot enough to form vapor bubbles; informally, very hot.

She lifts the lid carefully above the pot of boiling water.

Etymology

Latin bullire expressed bubbling or boiling. Boiling describes liquid producing vapor bubbles, and its informal use extends that intense heat to weather, rooms, or people who feel extremely hot.

More examples

  • The room feels boiling with all the windows shut.
  • Steam rises from the boiling soup.
  • It was boiling outside by the middle of the afternoon.

Similar words

scalding
Hot enough to burn, even without reaching the boiling point.
hot
The general temperature term without implying extreme heat.