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

Lake Washington is a 200-foot-deep trough carved by glaciers that retreated 16,000 years ago. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2026

In the city today, the Salt River is mostly reduced to a wide, dusty trough that passes unceremoniously under freeway bridges. — Alex Hager, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026

Dolly’s remnants are now just a surface trough of low pressure producing a disorganized area of showers and thunderstorms stretching from over portions of Hispaniola, the Turks and Caicos and southeastern Bahamas. — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026

But late Friday, a strong trough will begin to slide into the West Coast, pushing the high pressure out of the way and creating ideal upper-level conditions for thunderstorms that could extend beyond the higher terrain. — Tevian Whitehurst, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Phrases Containing trough

• eaves trough