Muggiest

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Characterized by the highest level of damp, oppressive heat in the air resulting in a sticky or clammy feeling on the skin ; denoting an environment extremely humid and warm to the point of discomfort ; describing a state of weather where moisture saturates the atmosphere heavily, making conditions feel sultry and close
2. Marked by intense humidity combined with warmth that creates a heavy, suffocating atmosphere ; indicating air saturated with moisture to such an extent that it feels nearly wet and uncomfortable ; referring to the most stifling and moist weather conditions often associated with summer heat
3. Exhibiting the utmost degree of muggy conditions where moisture in the air makes the temperature seem hotter and more oppressive ; relating to weather characterized by excessive dampness and heat that causes discomfort ; signifying an environment where the air is thick with humidity, making physical exertion more taxing

Etymology: "Muggiest" is the superlative of "muggy", so its story is really the story of the base word, which began as a term for weather rather than heat. "Muggy" traces to a dialect English noun "mug", meaning fog, mist, or Scotch mist, which in turn came from Old Norse "mugga", meaning drizzle or mist. English borrowed the Norse root before 1390, when a derived verb, Middle English "mugen", was recorded meaning of a fog to drizzle. The sense of stifling heat arrived later, once the word attached itself to the close, damp air that accompanies a drizzly, misty day. The "-y" ending simply turns the noun "mug" into an adjective meaning full of mist, and the superlative "-iest" then ranks the dampness at its peak.

Synonyms: most humid, most damp

Antonyms: driest, least humid