drought

noun

variants or less commonly drouth
1
: a period of dryness especially when prolonged
specifically : one that causes extensive damage to crops or prevents their successful growth
resistant to drought
2
: a prolonged or chronic shortage or lack of something expected or desired
a drought of creativity
droughtiness noun
droughty
ˈdrau̇-tē
adjective

Examples of drought in a Sentence

The drought caused serious damage to crops. a period of drought that lasted several years
Recent Examples on the Web California faces those threats on several fronts — including more extreme droughts, severe wildfires, stronger storms and flooding, and the worst air in the nation. Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2024 The effects extend beyond heat to more extreme droughts, fires, storms, floods, and other disasters made worse by climate change. Justine Calma, The Verge, 1 Mar. 2024 With drought and wildfire becoming more destructive in the state, insurance rates for Texas homeowners rose by 53.6 percent between 2019 and 2023, per the New York Times. Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Mar. 2024 In a 2023 warning issued by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), it was estimated that 35% of global food losses resulting from drought occurred in Latin America and the Caribbean, amounting to a total of $13 billion. Daphne Ewing-Chow, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Rising temperatures are driving more extreme weather, from heat waves to floods and droughts. Michael Copley, NPR, 29 Feb. 2024 Scientists from Stanford University and the United States’ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) published research in 2020 showing that climate change had made Cape Town’s drought five to six times as likely and that future droughts there were likely to be longer and more severe. Katharine Houreld, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024 The state’s most recent drought, from 2020 to 2022, ended last year when dozens of atmospheric river storms left the Sierra Nevada with its biggest snowpack in 40 years. Paul Rogers, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2024 Going on crazy runs and then going on crazy droughts. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'drought.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English drūgath, from drūgian to dry up; akin to Old English drȳge dry — more at dry

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of drought was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near drought

Cite this Entry

“Drought.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drought. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

drought

noun
variants also drouth
ˈdrau̇t How to pronounce drought (audio)
ˈdrau̇th
: a long period of dry weather
droughty
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on drought

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!