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

In this part of the world, a classic El Niño means warmer than usual air temperatures in the summer following its peak, as well as a drier monsoon season, Thirumalai says. — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 2 Sep. 2026

Bhandari said Nepal is nearing the end of its rainy monsoon season. — Sam Meredith,evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026

The monsoon season can be a particularly dangerous time in mountain canyons in Utah and the Southwest. — Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026

Visiting the Grand Canyon — a crown jewel of the national park system — can be particularly dangerous in the summer because of the risk of flash flooding that accompanies the monsoon, or rainy season. — Jamie Stengle, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 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