drought

noun

variants or less commonly drouth
1
: a period of dryness especially when prolonged
specifically : one that causes extensive damage to crops or prevents their successful growth
resistant to drought
2
: a prolonged or chronic shortage or lack of something expected or desired
a drought of creativity
droughtiness noun
droughty
ˈdrau̇-tē
adjective

Examples of drought in a Sentence

The drought caused serious damage to crops. a period of drought that lasted several years
Recent Examples on the Web In addition, most of the southern half of the US all the way from Southern California to the Carolinas should see less rain and snow than usual, which is potentially a concern for drought conditions. Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 18 Oct. 2024 While La Niña tends to favor the odds for drought conditions in Southern California, that’s not always the case. Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2024 The pattern could foster or further intensify drought conditions in Southern states, including Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, which are expected to be relatively hot and dry. Evan Bush, NBC News, 17 Oct. 2024 Sources: The Independent, Nature Early warning systems are helping prevent agricultural losses from drought in Kenya Climate change has worsened droughts in Kenya, threatening food stocks in a region prone to famine. Cameron Pugh, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for drought 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'drought.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English drūgath, from drūgian to dry up; akin to Old English drȳge dry — more at dry

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of drought was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near drought

Cite this Entry

“Drought.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drought. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

drought

noun
variants also drouth
ˈdrau̇t How to pronounce drought (audio)
ˈdrau̇th
: a long period of dry weather
droughty
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on drought

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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