terrain

noun

ter·​rain tə-ˈrān 

also te-

1

a(1)

: a geographic area

(2)

: a piece of land : ground

b

: the physical features of a tract of land

2

: terrane sense 1

3

a

: a field of knowledge or interest

b

: environment, milieu

Synonyms of terrain

• area
• realm
• element
• field
• domain
• walk
• department
• sphere
• kingdom

Examples of terrain in a Sentence

We had to drive over some rough terrain.

We hiked through a variety of terrains.

Recent Examples on the Web

But the rugged terrain would prove a stern test for some competitors. — CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026

The ski resort will continue making snow throughout the week, and more terrain may open if conditions permit. — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 2 Nov. 2026

Simply watching Shirley’s rig react to the terrain taught me a lot about the Pro R Boost. — Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 2 Nov. 2026

Unlike permanent venues, festivals are built and dismantled in a matter of days, requiring accessibility teams to adapt to varied terrain, temporary infrastructure, and changing weather. — Maribeth Romslo, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, land, ground, from Old French terrein, from Vulgar Latin *terranum, alteration of Latin terrenum, from neuter of terrenus of earth — more at terrene

First Known Use

1766, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Phrases Containing terrain

• all-terrain vehicle

Rhymes for terrain

• abstain
• airplane
• alkane
• arcane
• arraign
• attain
• backplane
• betaine
• biplane
• blockchain
• butane
• campaign

Kids Definition

terrain

noun

ter·​rain tə-ˈrān 

also te-

: the surface features of an area of land

rough terrain