bochornoso
/bot͡ʃoɾˈnoso/
The Spanish word for muggy is bochornoso.
Bochornoso is used to describe weather that is both hot and humid. While the word húmedo refers to general humidity, bochornoso specifically implies a heavy, discomforting and hot kind of humidity. You can also use the noun form bochorno to describe the actual sensation of muggy, oppressive heat.
Meaning: humid or hot and humid (adj)
Which one should you use?
Bochornoso is used when the humidity feels heavy and hot, whereas húmedo is a more general term for humidity.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective bochornoso must agree with the noun it describes. It changes to bochornosa to agree with feminine nouns such as tarde or atmósfera, and it changes to bochornosos to agree with masculine plural nouns like días.
How do you pronounce it?
/botʃoɾˈnoso/
Did you know?
- If someone says ¡Qué bochorno!, they might not be talking about the weather at all, but rather expressing that a situation is incredibly embarrassing or shameful.
- To describe the feeling of being 'stifled' by muggy air, Spanish speakers often use the verb agobiarse, which can also mean to feel overwhelmed by stress or work.
- While bochorno describes oppressive heat, it can also refer to a sudden 'hot flash' or a feeling of warmth rising in the chest due to anger or modesty.
Examples in context
- El clima está muy húmedo hoy. No quiero estar afuera.The weather is very humid today. I don't want to be outside.
- Esta semana ha sido sofocante. ¡Es difícil respirar!This week has been suffocating. It's hard to breathe!
- El ambiente está muy pesado. Necesitamos un poco de brisa.The atmosphere feels heavy. We need some breeze.
- Hoy el clima está bochornoso. Mejor quedémonos en casa.Today the weather is muggy. Let's stay home instead.
- Hoy hace un bochorno tremendo. No se puede salir a la calle.Today is extremely muggy. You can't go outside.
- El clima está muy caluroso y húmedo.The weather is very hot and muggy.
- ¡Qué día tan pegajoso! Necesito tomar un baño.What a sticky day! I need to take a shower.
- Hace un día muy bochornoso.It is a very muggy day.
- El clima está muy bochornoso hoy.The weather is very muggy today.
- No me gusta este ambiente tan bochornoso.I do not like this muggy atmosphere.
- Parece un día bochornoso antes de la tormenta.It looks like a muggy day before the storm.
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are walking outside in the summer.
- LucíaDaniel, hace un día muy bochornoso.Daniel, it's a very muggy day.
- DanielTienes razón, me siento muy sofocado.You're right, I feel very stifled.
- LucíaBusquemos un lugar con aire acondicionado.Let's look for a place with air conditioning.
- DanielEs una buena idea, Lucía.That is a good idea, Lucía.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry bochornoso, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
