drought

drought

noun \ˈdrau̇t\

Definition of DROUGHT

1

: a period of dryness especially when prolonged; specifically : one that causes extensive damage to crops or prevents their successful growth

2

: a prolonged or chronic shortage or lack of something expected or desired

— drought·i·ness \ˈdrau̇-tē-nəs\ noun

— droughty \ˈdrau̇-tē\ adjective

Variants of DROUGHT

drought also drouth \ˈdrau̇th\

Examples of DROUGHT

1. The drought caused serious damage to crops.
2. a period of drought that lasted several years

Origin of DROUGHT

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

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to DROUGHT

Synonyms: crunch, dearth, deficit, deficiency (also drouth), failure, famine, inadequacy, inadequateness, insufficiency, lack, lacuna, paucity, pinch, poverty, scantiness, scarceness, scarcity, shortage, undersupply, want

Antonyms: abundance, adequacy, amplitude, opulence, plenitude, plenty, sufficiency, wealth

Related Words: absence, omission; meagerness, poorness, skimpiness; necessity, need, privation

Near Antonyms: bountifulness, copiousness; excess, overabundance, oversupply, surfeit, surplus

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Other Climate/Meteorology Terms

monsoon, occlusion, ozone, rime, squall, zephyr

Rhymes with DROUGHT

bout, clout, doubt, flout, glout, gout, grout, knout, kraut, lout, out, pout, rout, route, scout, shout, snout, spout, sprout, stout, tout, trout