Humid

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Humid

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

adjective

Pronunciation

HYOO-mid  /ˈhjuːmɪd/

Definition

Marked by a relatively high level of water vapour in the atmosphere; having a noticeably high degree of moisture in the air; oppressively or uncomfortably warm and moist.

Plain meaning

Humid means the air has a lot of water vapour in it — the damp, heavy feeling in the air on a hot summer day, or in a tropical climate. High humidity makes heat feel more oppressive because sweat cannot evaporate from the skin as efficiently. The related noun is humidity.

Register

Neutral in meteorological, physiological, and everyday contexts. Humid typically carries a slightly negative connotation when used of weather — the humid August heat, the humid air of the tropics — because high humidity is experienced as oppressive. The related words humidify, dehumidify, and humidifier are standard in building engineering and HVAC.