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

People traveling through the remote Sonoran Desert die from its extreme heat, harsh conditions and rough terrain. — Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026

This rainfall may produce life threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in steep terrain and over areas that were affected recently by Hurricane Lala. — Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026

Companies are exploring different robotic designs for transportation, industrial work and mobility, with quadruped systems offering potential advantages on uneven terrain. — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 23 Aug. 2026

Cruise operators are being asked to scale back trips through certain fjords, or narrow coastal waterways surrounded by steep terrain, after residents of Greenland raised concerns about the impact of ships on local communities and the environment. — Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 23 Aug. 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