monsoon

noun

mon·​soon män-ˈsün 

ˈmän-ˌsün

1

: a periodic wind especially in the Indian Ocean and southern Asia

2

: the season of the southwest monsoon in India and adjacent areas that is characterized by very heavy rainfall

3

: rainfall that is associated with the monsoon

monsoonal

män-ˈsü-nᵊl 

ˈmän-ˌsü-

adjective

Examples of monsoon in a Sentence

floods caused by summer monsoons

Recent Examples on the Web

Last year, many of her chile plants were swallowed whole when a reservoir nearby (which the farmers use to harvest rainwater) flooded its banks during the monsoons. —Kamala Thiagarajan, NPR, 19 Apr. 2026

But relief could be on the horizon, with above-average precipitation expected in Colorado from July to October, the state’s monsoon season, according to NOAA forecasts. —Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 16 Apr. 2026

Several cheetahs went into septic shock and died during a monsoon. —Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 15 Apr. 2026

Stearns expects an expansion of drought conditions in the West, adding that a possible above-average monsoon season in the Southwest could complicate the fire outlook. —CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

obsolete Dutch monssoen, from Portuguese monção, from Arabic mawsim time, season

First Known Use

1584, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for monsoon

• attune
• baboon
• balloon
• bassoon
• buffoon
• cartoon
• cocoon
• festoon
• gaboon
• harpoon
• immune
• impugn

Kids Definition

monsoon

noun

mon·​soon män-ˈsün 

1

: a periodic wind in the Indian Ocean and southern Asia

2

: the rainy season that accompanies the southwest monsoon

3

: rainfall that is associated with the monsoon season