Synonyms of trough

trough

noun

ˈtrȯf 

1

as in pipe

a long hollow cylinder for carrying a substance (as a liquid or gas)

all of the wiring for the converted residential loft is concealed in a vertical trough

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pipe
• conduit
• tube
• funnel
• channel
• drain
• line
• duct
• piping
• penstock
• leader
• pipeline
• tile
• spout
• standpipe
• main
• waste pipe
• hydrant
• stovepipe
• smokestack
• drainpipe
• waterspout
• pipage

2

as in ditch

a long narrow channel dug in the earth

I slid and fell into the trough by the side of the road, scraping my leg

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ditch
• trench
• gutter
• ravine
• furrow
• dike
• moat
• drain
• fosse
• sheugh
• gully
• culvert
• drill
• acequia
• draw
• stank
• sunk fence
• kennel
• ha-ha

3

as in gutter

a pipe or channel for carrying off water from a roof

the troughs on the eaves of the house were clogged with leaves

Synonyms & Similar Words

• gutter
• drainpipe
• spout
• drain
• eaves trough
• sluice
• aqueduct
• waterspout
• rainspout
• duct
• flume
• conduit

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of trough

That’s because the upper-level low-pressure area is causing a kink in the jet stream, which leads to a dip known as a trough. — Jamie Ross, Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2026

And there are six possible ways for two crests and two troughs to meet, causing the waves to completely cancel out and produce a flat surface (destructive interference). — Philipp Strasberg, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Along the coast, a trough of low air pressure is expected to develop along the same frontal boundary bringing cooler fall weather to Houston. — Newsroom Meteorologist, Houston Chronicle, 16 Oct. 2026

At the trough, from February 2024 through mid-2026, weekly transits averaged just 141,000 TEU, or 11 percent of 2023 levels. — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026

Phrases Containing trough

• eaves trough