drought

1 of 2

noun (1)

ˈdrau̇t 

variants or less commonly drouth

ˈdrau̇th 

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

ˈdrau̇-tē-nəs 

noun

droughty

ˈdrau̇-tē

adjective

droughtiness

2 of 2

noun (2)

drought·​i·​ness -th|ēnə̇s 

-t|, 

-t|, 

-in-

plural -es

: the quality or state of being droughty : lack of rain : aridity

Synonyms of drought

Noun (1)

• shortage
• lack

Examples of drought in a Sentence

Noun (1)

The drought caused serious damage to crops.

a period of drought that lasted several years

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Postmatch, the king of Spain, King Felipe VI, was one of the first to congratulate La Roja on snapping the 16-year drought. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026

Zaccheaus helped the Commanders snap a four-year playoff drought. — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 15 July 2026

Such plantations often store less carbon, support fewer animals, and are less resilient to drought, disease, and wildfire than natural forests. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 14 July 2026

Brackpool’s pitch was that by stockpiling water from the Colorado River under the Cadiz sands in years when a surplus was available and delivering it during droughts, the company could assuage the supply crisis confronting Southern California. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

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

First Known Use

Noun (1)

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

Rhymes for drought

• bout
• clout
• doubt
• flout
• gout
• grout
• kraut
• lout
• out
• pout
• rout
• scout

Kids Definition

drought

noun

variants also drouth

ˈdrau̇t 

ˈdrau̇th

: a long period of dry weather

droughty

-ē

adjective