sulfurous

S1U1L1F4U1R1O1U1S1
US/ˈsʌlfəɹəs/UK/sʌlˈfjuɹəs/

adjective

Containing sulfur.

UncommonScrabble 12

Meanings

adjectivesulfurous (comparative more sulfurous, superlative most sulfurous)

comparative more sulfurous · superlative most sulfurous · alternative UK sulphurous

  1. USContaining sulfur.

    The miners slowly walked up the steep crater walls, stopping frequently while clouds of sulfurous gas blanketed the crater in the background.

    2015 February 25, Kevin McElvaney, “Inside Indonesia's Ijen Volcano”, in The Atlantic, archived from the original on 06 Mar 2016
    1 more example

    It must be so—I will arise and waken The multitude, and like a sulphurous hill, Which on a sudden from its snows had shaken The swoon of ages, it shall burst, and fill The world with cleansing fire; it must, it will— It may not be restrained!

    1817 December, Percy Bysshe Shelley, “The Revolt of Islam. […]”, in [Mary] Shelley, editor, The Poetical Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley. […], volume I, London: Edward Moxon […], published 1839, →OCLC, page 191
  2. chemistryOf, or relating to sulfur, especially in its lower oxidation state.

Synonyms & antonyms

Similar

adjectiveof or related to or containing sulfur or derived from sulfur

Similar

adjectivecharacterized by oppressive heat and humidity

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinsulphurōsus
  2. Englishsulfurous

From Latin sulphurōsus. By surface analysis, sulfur + -ous.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian сернист
  • сернист (sernist)of or relating to sulfur
Catalan sulfurós
  • sulfuróscontaining sulfur
Finnish rikkipitoinen, rikki-
  • rikkipitoinencontaining sulfur
  • rikki-of or relating to sulfur
French sulfureux
  • sulfureuxcontaining sulfur
Italian solfifero, solforoso
  • solfiferocontaining sulfur
  • solforosoof or relating to sulfur
Latin sulfureus
  • sulfureuscontaining sulfur
Persian گوگردی, گوگردی
  • گوگردی (gôgerdi)containing sulfur
  • گوگردی (gôgerdi)of or relating to sulfur
Portuguese sulfuroso, sulfuroso
  • sulfurosocontaining sulfur
  • sulfurosoof or relating to sulfur
  • sulfúreoof or relating to sulfur
  • sulfúricoof or relating to sulfur
Romanian sulfuros
  • sulfuroscontaining sulfur
Russian серни́стый, се́рный
  • серни́стый (sernístyj)containing sulfur
  • се́рный (sérnyj)of or relating to sulfur
Scottish Gaelic pronnasgail, pronnasgach
  • pronnasgailcontaining sulfur
  • pronnasgachof or relating to sulfur
Spanish sulfuroso, sulfuroso
  • sulfurosocontaining sulfur
  • sulfurosoof or relating to sulfur
Turkish kükürtlü
  • kükürtlücontaining sulfur
Cite this entry
APA

sulfurous. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sulfurous

MLA

“sulfurous.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sulfurous. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sulfurous,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sulfurous.

Source: sulfurous on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.