drought

noun

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

Synonyms

• crunch
• dearth
• deficiency
• deficit
• failure
• famine
• inadequacy
• inadequateness
• insufficiency
• lack
• lacuna
• paucity
• pinch
• poverty
• scantiness
• scarceness
• scarcity
• shortage
• undersupply
• want

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

Bad fire season pollutes progress The primary cause of the worsening air quality for Americans comes as a result of climate events including wildfires, drought and extreme heat, according to the report. —Michael Loria, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025

With reduced visibility, poor air quality and hazardous driving conditions, large-scale dust storms like this reflect ongoing challenges posed by drought and land degradation in arid regions. —Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Apr. 2025

So apart from The Elder Scrolls Online, fans of the franchise have been experiencing a historic drought. —ArsTechnica, 22 Apr. 2025

Climate change is also raising the risk of drought and flooding, according to government and academic researchers. —Benji Jones, Vox, 22 Apr. 2025

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

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