What does steaming mean?
Steaming is an adjective or participial form describing something very hot, often so hot that vapor is visible. It can also describe a person’s intense anger: someone may be described as steaming with anger or simply as steaming. In another figurative use, a place or event is steaming if it is full of energetic activity. The expression “a steaming scandal” refers to an especially serious or shocking unethical affair. Because it evokes boiling water and rising vapor, “steaming” gives these figurative meanings vivid physical force. It is common in everyday speech and journalism, though its more dramatic figurative uses can sound informal or emphatic.
Extremely hot, often with visible vapor rising; figuratively very angry, intensely active, or seriously objectionable.
"A steaming bath eased her aching muscles."
The figurative uses are common in informal speech and journalism.
Present participle of steam: emitting vapor, being heated by steam, or being very angry or intensely active.
"The pot was steaming on the stove."
To an extreme degree, especially in the sense of very hot or very angry.
"The argument left him steaming furious."
A word can be literally steaming with heat or figuratively steaming with anger: the same vapor turns the ordinary word into a vivid picture.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does steaming come from?
The word belongs to the English family of “steam,” which derives from Old English stēam, referring to water vapor or a cloud of vapor. The present participle “steaming” developed from the verb “steam,” originally meaning to emit vapor or be heated by steam. The adjective and figurative meanings developed from the image of something hot enough to produce visible vapor.
Related word forms
How steaming is actually used
The figurative senses are common in informal and journalistic English. “Steaming angry” is usually informal, while “a steaming scandal” can sound sharply critical or satirical.
Easily confused with steaming
Steaming means hot enough to give off visible vapor, whereas steep describes something rising sharply or falling sharply.