steaming
Meaning
Giving off or full of steam; very hot and humid
(informal) Extremely angry
Used as an intensifier, meaning 'extremely' or 'very'
Structure
Usage
He wiped the steaming window with his sleeve.
She was absolutely steaming after hearing the news.
The team is steaming hot and has won ten consecutive games.
Etymology
The word 'steaming' is built upon the Old English noun 'stēam', which referred to vapor, smoke, or a hot exhalation. This term has deep Proto-Germanic roots, connecting to concepts of evaporation and heat. The addition of the '-ing' suffix, originally a present participle ending in Old English, transforms the base noun into an adjective describing the state of emitting steam. Over time, this literal sense of being hot and vaporous evolved metaphorically; by the 20th century, it began describing a state of extreme anger, evoking the image of a person so furious they seem to emit heat, and later broadened into a general intensifier.
Analysis
steam: From Old English 'stēam' (vapor, hot exhalation), of Proto-Germanic origin. Functions as the core root denoting vapor or heat. ing: From Old English '-ende', '-ing', a suffix forming present participles and adjectives from verbs. Functions as a derivational suffix creating an adjective.