How to say "humid" in Japanese

Choosing the right word
  • 蒸し暑いむしあついJLPT N2approx.Common
    i-adjectiveCovers 'humid' for hot, muggy weather: warm air heavy with moisture, typical of summer. The heat is built in, so it is not the word for merely damp conditions.
    その晩ばんはとてもむし暑あつかった。↗
    It was very sultry that night.
  • adverb (with と), suru verbA mimetic word for damp, clammy moisture that clings — damp air, rooms, clothes, even skin. It conveys lingering dampness rather than heat, so it suits 'humid' when the dampness itself is the point.
    じめじめした寒さむい日ひは健康けんこうに悪わるい。↗
    A damp, cold day affects a person's health.
  • 湿っぽいしめっぽいCommon
    i-adjectiveDescribes air or weather that feels damp or humid, with no suggestion of heat. Where じめじめ evokes clammy dampness, this states it more plainly.
    このシーツ、湿しめっぽいよ。↗
    The sheets feel damp.

Use 「蒸し暑い」 for hot, muggy weather; 「じめじめ」 for lingering, clammy dampness of places, things or the air; and 「湿っぽい」 for air or weather that feels damp or humid without the heat.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

Japanese equivalents
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JLPT vocabulary levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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