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
droughty
adjective
ˈdrau̇-tē
Synonyms
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
The Upper Basin states argue that their smaller reservoirs and more severe drought conditions justify keeping their water consumption levels higher, while the Lower Basin states, already committed to significant cuts, push for more aggressive reductions.
—
Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025
Brown led the Kings to 48 wins and the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, ending the longest playoff drought in NBA history after 16 consecutive losing seasons.
—Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 28 Jan. 2025
Devastating fires in Boulder County and Maui began after droughts intensified by climate change sucked the moisture out of vegetation, drastically increasing what’s called the energy-release component—the available energy, measured in B.T.U.s per square foot, within the flaming front of a fire.
—M. R. O’Connor, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
In areas where there are forests, increasing droughts and homes pushing ever further into the wilderness are putting hundreds of thousands of people at risk.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 26 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for drought 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025
Brown led the Kings to 48 wins and the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, ending the longest playoff drought in NBA history after 16 consecutive losing seasons.
—Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 28 Jan. 2025
Devastating fires in Boulder County and Maui began after droughts intensified by climate change sucked the moisture out of vegetation, drastically increasing what’s called the energy-release component—the available energy, measured in B.T.U.s per square foot, within the flaming front of a fire.
—M. R. O’Connor, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
In areas where there are forests, increasing droughts and homes pushing ever further into the wilderness are putting hundreds of thousands of people at risk.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 26 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for drought
Dictionary Entries Near drought
Cite this Entry
“Drought.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drought. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
drought
noun
variants
also drouth
ˈdrau̇t 
ˈdrau̇th
: a long period of dry weather
droughty
adjective
-ē
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share