adjective
close
Uncomfortably warm and lacking fresh air.
The room feels close with all the windows shut.
Etymology
Latin claudere meant to shut. Close air feels enclosed and unable to circulate, extending the shut-in image to an atmosphere that is warm, stuffy, or oppressive.
More examples
- It was a close, humid afternoon.
- The air grew close and heavy.
- Open a window; it is close in here.
Forms
close · closer · closest
Similar words
- stuffy
- The more usual term for poor ventilation.