It's Summer and as much as you'd like to believe it is raining in England, it's not! It's hot. Very hot.
That type of weather where if you're a man, you have to do the side step every now and then—men will understand. While I'm sat here in my back garden baking like a potato, I think it's only right you should know 10 different ways we can say "it's hot" so you can sound perfectly natural when complaining about the heat!
10 Expressions Decoded 📖
1. It's boiling
Meaning: Extremely hot, just like boiling water. We use this for both outdoor weather and indoor rooms."Can we open a window? It's absolute boiling in here."
2. It's baking
Meaning: Very hot and dry. This is typically used when you are sitting directly under the hot sun, like you are baking inside an oven."We've been baking on the beach all afternoon."
3. It's a scorcher / It's scorching
Meaning: "A scorcher" is a noun meaning an incredibly hot day. "Scorching" is the adjective describing the heat."Make sure you wear sunscreen today; it's a proper scorcher outside!"
4. It's roasting
Meaning: Extremely warm (most commonly used when you are personally feeling too hot, especially if wearing too many clothes)."I'm roasting in this heavy jumper, I need to change into a t-shirt."
5. It's sweltering
Meaning: Heavy, sticky, and oppressive heat that naturally makes you sweat."The London Underground is always sweltering during the summer."
6. It's like an oven in here
Meaning: A classic idiom for describing an indoor room, car, or house that has trapped the hot air inside."Get the fan going; it's like an oven in this kitchen."
7. It's muggy
Meaning: Weather that is uncomfortably hot, damp, and highly humid. The air feels sticky and there is no breeze."It's not just hot today, it's really muggy and uncomfortable."
8. I'm melting
Meaning: A humorous, dramatic way to tell people that you are feeling far too hot."Turn the air conditioning on, please—I'm absolutely melting!"
9. I'm sweating like a pig
Meaning: A very common, casual idiom meaning to sweat heavily due to intense heat, humidity, or physical exertion."It's so humid today, I'm sweating like a pig just sitting at my desk."
10. It's like a sauna
Meaning: Similar to "like an oven," but specifically used when the space is both very hot and very humid (like a steam room)."The office is like a sauna today because the AC is broken."
Quick Quiz: Test Your Knowledge! ðŸ§
Let's see if you've mastered these expressions. Select the correct options below!
1. Which phrase describes a hot and highly humid day?
2. What does 'a scorcher' describe?
3. Complete the idiom: "It's so humid, I'm sweating like a ___."
Final Thoughts 💭
British English is rich with idioms for the weather, and these 10 terms will help you sound natural whether you are complaining about the heat inside a packed tube train or enjoying a sunny afternoon in the garden.
What is your favourite way to describe hot weather? Let us know!
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