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parched

adjective
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\ ˈpärcht How to pronounce parched (audio) \

Definition of parched

: deprived of natural moisture parched land also : thirsty He was parched after the long hike.

Examples of parched in a Sentence

Could I have some water? I'm parched.
Recent Examples on the Web In this 2012 photo, a man places his hand on parched soil in the Greater Upper Nile region of northeastern South Sudan. — Katie Hunt, CNN, "Vanishing ice puts Mongolia's reindeer herders at risk," 20 Nov. 2019 Trees die en masse, setting the parched and arid state up to burn. — Tessa Love, Longreads, "California Burning," 8 Nov. 2019 The company imposed power shut-offs across vast areas in recent weeks as high winds elevated the fire hazard in the parched state. — Ivan Penn, New York Times, "California Governor Moves to Reshape PG&E After Fires and Blackouts," 1 Nov. 2019 The parched vegetation from the unseasonably hot weather and low humidity was already igniting spots elsewhere, and firefighters scrambled to keep up. — Don Thompson, Twin Cities, "Ferocious winds fuel blazes throughout Northern California," 27 Oct. 2019 The parched vegetation from the unseasonably hot weather and low humidity was already igniting spots elsewhere, and firefighters scrambled to keep up. — chicagotribune.com, "California declares state of emergency as nearly 200,000 ordered to flee wildfires fueled by historic winds," 27 Oct. 2019 But in recent years, Corkscrew sees more than three parched months a year. — Mac Stone, National Geographic, "Florida’s rare ghost orchids are getting cut off from water," 25 Oct. 2019 When parched soil and fallen leaves are rewetted, microbes go into metabolic overdrive and churn out CO2 and VOCs. — Erik Stokstad, Science | AAAS, "Unprecedented drought in an artificial ecosystem may reveal how rainforests will cope with climate change," 16 Oct. 2019 Twisted saguaro cactuses line the parched clifftops while a broad creek rolls through the narrow rock walls below. — David Kelly, Los Angeles Times, "Heading south in Steinbeck’s footsteps, with a Prius and a plan," 5 Oct. 2019

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.

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First Known Use of parched

circa 1552, in the meaning defined above

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Time Traveler for parched

Time Traveler

The first known use of parched was circa 1552

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Last Updated

24 Nov 2019

Cite this Entry

“Parched.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parched. Accessed 7 December 2019.

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More Definitions for parched

parched

adjective
How to pronounce parched (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of parched

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

See the full definition for parched in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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More from Merriam-Webster on parched

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for parched

Spanish Central: Translation of parched

Nglish: Translation of parched for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of parched for Arabic Speakers

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