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

EyeEm Mobile GmbH/Getty The timing was significant for local residents and infrastructure, as Las Vegas and neighboring communities are unaccustomed to widespread rainfall outside of the annual monsoon season, which generally begins later in the summer. —Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025

India's annual June-September monsoon season offers respite from intense summer heat. —Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 30 May 2025

The onset of the southwest monsoon in Mumbai on May 26 is the earliest advancement over the city since 1950, Nair said. —Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 27 May 2025

Arizona and New Mexico are often saved by their summer monsoon season, which starts in late June and July. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 21 May 2025

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