parched

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adjective \ ˈpärcht \

Definition of parched

:deprived of natural moisture

parched land

; also :thirsty

He was parched after the long hike.

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See parched defined for kids

Examples of parched in a Sentence

Could I have some water? I'm parched.

Recent Examples of parched from the Web

Dust spinning around her legs, the strong-willed 16-year-old looked to the parched sky.

— melissa reinert, Cincinnati.com, "Brought through the fire: Iraqi girl survives severe burns to find freedom in NKY," 18 Aug. 2017
Developers offered parcels of land in parched areas of the village for just a few hundred dollars or more.

— troy mcmullen, chicagotribune.com, "Historically black beach enclaves are fighting to save their history and identity," 31 July 2017
A massive drought around 4,200 years ago led to the empire's collapse and also sent refugees fleeing from the parched north of Mesopotamia to the south.

— annalee newitz, Ars Technica, "Genetic evidence suggests the Canaanites weren’t destroyed after all," 27 July 2017
In parched Fountain Valley, Calif., a network helped the city reduce water consumption by more than 20 percent.

— scott canon, kansascity, "KC smart-city efforts could save sewers, smooth traffic, fix potholes before they pop," 22 July 2017
A fast-moving wildfire burned overnight through thousands more acres of steep terrain near California's central coast, officials said on Sunday, as high temperatures and parched vegetation fueled dozens of blazes in the U.S. West and Southwest.

— reuters, Alaska Dispatch News, "Wildfires spread in western states and British Columbia," 10 July 2017
Among the first events at the Essence Festival in New Orleans Friday (June 30) was the announcement that superstar Beyonce had partnered with UNICEF to bring water to the parched population of Burundi in east Africa.

— doug maccash, NOLA.com, "Beyonce pledges pure water for Burundi at Essence Music Festival," 30 June 2017
But it is felt as far away as Sri Lanka, where fishermen in the north say the tides have changed in the past two years, and at least 50 feet of new mangroves planted near Jaffna stand in parched dirt instead of being flooded by water.

— elaine glusac, chicagotribune.com, "Climate concerns fuel more travel to fragile corners of the world," 23 June 2017
My formerly parched plants are standing tall and proud and lush and grateful for the long drink of water they were given just as their stems were wilting under new leaf growth, the leaves themselves wilting, too.

— bonnie blodgett, Twin Cities, "Blundering Gardener: This week’s worry? Bugs and blight," 17 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'parched.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of parched

circa 1552

PARCHED Defined for English Language Learners

parched

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adjective

Definition of parched for English Language Learners

: very dry especially because of hot weather and no rain
: very thirsty

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Nglish: Translation of parched for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of parched for Arabic speakers

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