Dictionary

drought en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• [dɹʌʊ̯t] Canada, Canadian raising
• [dɹɐʊ̯t] Canada, Canadian raising
• (Southern-England) audio
• [dɹaːt] Pittsburgh, General South African, /aʊ̯/-monophthongization
• (US) audio
• [dɹɜʊ̯t] Canada, Canadian raising
• [dɹəʊ̯t] Canada, Canadian raising
• /dɹaʊt/
• [dɹæʊ̯t] Southern US, Midland US, Mid-Atlantic US, New York City, Australia, New Zealand, /aʊ̯/-fronting

Etymology

From Middle English droughte, droghte, drouȝte, from Old English drūgaþ. Cognate with Dutch droogte, Low German Dröögde. By surface analysis, dry + -t (abstract nominal suffix).

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) A period of unusually low rainfall, longer and more severe than a dry spell.
   • Phoenix and Lubbock are both caught in severe drought, and it is going to get much worse. We may see many such [dust] storms in the decades ahead, along with species extinctions, radical disturbance of ecosystems, and intensified social conflict over land and water. Welcome to the Anthropocene, the epoch when humans have become a major geological and climatic force. 2012 January 14, Donald Worster, “A Drier and Hotter Future”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 1, archived from the original on 26 Jan 2012, page 70:
   • The weather looked like drought―a thoroughly wicked drought; if the rain did not come before long, their crops would be burnt up. 1917, Knut Hamsun, Growth of the Soil, Book 1, Ch.4, at p.33
   • His village had faced a drought twice.
2. (broadly, countable, informal, uncountable) A longer than expected term without success, particularly in sport.
   • Sri Lanka ended their ten-game drought with a consolation win over Bangladesh.
   • Kane had been going through something of a drought by his own standards. His previous England goal came 500 days ago, in a Euro 2020 qualifier against Kosovo, and his header in Tirana ended a run of 496 minutes without scoring. 2021 March 28, Phil McNulty, “Albania 0-2 England”, in BBC Sport:
3. (archaic, countable, uncountable) dryness, aridness, dry heat
   • The seasons most unfavourable to the crop are those of excessive drought or excessive rain. 1817, Adam Smith, chapter V, in An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, volume 2, page 344:
   • Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 31:40:
   • The consequences are, that a few days of severe drought, in the early parts of summer, or even when the grain is ripening, is sometimes fatal to the crop on moss. 1814, The Right Honorable Sir John Sinclair, chapter XI, in Appendix to the General Report of the Agricultural State, and Political Circumstances, of Scotland, page 16:

Forms

Antonyms

winning streak

Deriveds

droughtless · megadrought · antidrought · droughting · droughted · flash drought · absolute drought · Palmer drought index · minidrought · droughty · predrought · bedroughted · drought-resistant · droughtproof · drought-tolerant

Synonyms

losing streak

Translations (170)

hi अवर्षण (period of unusually low rain fall) · cmn 乾旱 /干旱 (period of unusually low rain fall) · lv sausums (period of unusually low rain fall) · si නියඟය (period of unusually low rain fall) · nrf séquerèche (period of unusually low rain fall) · mnc ᡥᡳᠶᠠ (period of unusually low rain fall) · br sec'hor (period of unusually low rain fall) · eo sekegeco (period of unusually low rain fall) · my မိုးခေါင်ခြင်း (period of unusually low rain fall) · tg хушксолӣ (period of unusually low rain fall) · it siccità (period of unusually low rain fall) · uk посу́ха (period of unusually low rain fall) · lo ຝົນແລ້ງ (period of unusually low rain fall) · xpr 𐭃𐭅𐭔𐭉𐭀𐭓 (period of unusually low rain fall) · cs sucho (period of unusually low rain fall) · pa ਸੋਕਾ (period of unusually low rain fall) · mi taurakitanga (period of unusually low rain fall) · sh sȗša (period of unusually low rain fall) · bcl tag-alang (period of unusually low rain fall) · tk guraklyk (period of unusually low rain fall) · eu lehorte (period of unusually low rain fall) · pam lawi (period of unusually low rain fall) · sah кураан (period of unusually low rain fall) · gl seca (period of unusually low rain fall) · iba sanggau (period of unusually low rain fall) · ur سُوکھا (period of unusually low rain fall) · bn খরা (period of unusually low rain fall) · lo ຟ້າແລ້ງ (period of unusually low rain fall) · alt кӱйгек (period of unusually low rain fall) · uk за́суха (period of unusually low rain fall) · ca seca (period of unusually low rain fall) · de Trockenzeit (period of unusually low rain fall) · mt nixfa (period of unusually low rain fall) · fa-ira خُشْکْسالی (period of unusually low rain fall) · ja 旱魃 (period of unusually low rain fall) · ga triomach (period of unusually low rain fall) · pa ਖੁਸ਼ਕ ਸਾਲੀ (period of unusually low rain fall) · as খৰালি (period of unusually low rain fall) · bo ཆར་ཆུ་མེད་པ (period of unusually low rain fall) · sv torka (period of unusually low rain fall) · sa अनावृष्टि (period of unusually low rain fall) · ht sechrès (period of unusually low rain fall) · tt корылык (period of unusually low rain fall) · ur خُشْکی (period of unusually low rain fall) · ko 가뭄 (period of unusually low rain fall) · nb tørke (period of unusually low rain fall) · ky кургакчылык (period of unusually low rain fall) · it asciugaggine (period of unusually low rain fall) · sa दुर्वृष्टि (period of unusually low rain fall) · sw kiangazi (period of unusually low rain fall) · ota صوسزلق (period of unusually low rain fall) · eo trosekeco (period of unusually low rain fall) · qu ch'akiy (period of unusually low rain fall) · ti ድርቂ (period of unusually low rain fall) · fr sécheresse (period of unusually low rain fall) · ro secetă (period of unusually low rain fall) · ru засу́шливость (period of unusually low rain fall) · he בַּצֹּרֶת \ בצרת (period of unusually low rain fall) · qu ch'aki pacha (period of unusually low rain fall) · mi raki (period of unusually low rain fall) · nap secceta (period of unusually low rain fall) · id kekeringan (period of unusually low rain fall) · ro uscăciune (period of unusually low rain fall) · rup uscãciuni (period of unusually low rain fall) · sh су̑ша (period of unusually low rain fall) · de Trockenheit (period of unusually low rain fall) · hi अनावृष्टि (period of unusually low rain fall) · nrf siquerèche (period of unusually low rain fall) · it secco (period of unusually low rain fall) · grc ἀβροχία (period of unusually low rain fall) · mwl seca (period of unusually low rain fall) · lo ແລ້ງ (period of unusually low rain fall) · enm droughte (period of unusually low rain fall) · th ภัยแล้ง (period of unusually low rain fall) · la siccitās (period of unusually low rain fall) · my ရေငတ်ခြင်း (period of unusually low rain fall) · af droogte (period of unusually low rain fall) · ru сушь (period of unusually low rain fall) · nn tørke (period of unusually low rain fall) · ta வறட்சி (period of unusually low rain fall) · oc secaresso (period of unusually low rain fall) · ru за́суха (period of unusually low rain fall) · tay mtkzyay (period of unusually low rain fall) · sq thatësirë (period of unusually low rain fall) · ae 𐬛𐬎𐬱𐬌𐬌𐬁𐬭𐬆 (period of unusually low rain fall) · hi अकाल (period of unusually low rain fall) · sk sucho (period of unusually low rain fall) · rup seatsitã (period of unusually low rain fall) · peo 𐎯𐏁𐎹𐎠𐎼𐎶 (period of unusually low rain fall) · uk су́ша (period of unusually low rain fall) · ast secura (period of unusually low rain fall) · vo lesig (period of unusually low rain fall) · es sequía (period of unusually low rain fall) · ur خُشْک سالی (period of unusually low rain fall) · te అనావృష్టి (period of unusually low rain fall) · tl bisi (period of unusually low rain fall) · ca sequera (period of unusually low rain fall) · uz qurgʻoqchilik (period of unusually low rain fall) · ar جَفَاف (period of unusually low rain fall) · es seca (period of unusually low rain fall) · be су́ша (period of unusually low rain fall) · sa अवृष्टि (period of unusually low rain fall) · cmn 旱季 (period of unusually low rain fall) · ang drūgaþ (period of unusually low rain fall) · pt estiagem (period of unusually low rain fall) · alt коҥы (period of unusually low rain fall) · lt sausra (period of unusually low rain fall) · ms kemarau (period of unusually low rain fall) · tl tagtuyot (period of unusually low rain fall) · az quraqlıq (period of unusually low rain fall) · hi खुश्की (period of unusually low rain fall) · vi hạn hán (period of unusually low rain fall) · bho सूखा (period of unusually low rain fall) · vro põud (period of unusually low rain fall) · ug قۇرغاقچىلىق (period of unusually low rain fall) · ml വരൾച്ച (period of unusually low rain fall) · oc secada (period of unusually low rain fall) · mi tauraki (period of unusually low rain fall) · km រាំងរឹះ (period of unusually low rain fall) · mr दुष्काळ (period of unusually low rain fall) · el ξηρασία (period of unusually low rain fall) · fi kuivuus (period of unusually low rain fall) · kk қуаңшылық (period of unusually low rain fall) · ps وچکالي (period of unusually low rain fall) · ka გვალვა (period of unusually low rain fall) · et põud (period of unusually low rain fall) · ba ҡоролоҡ (period of unusually low rain fall) · pdt Drieejetiet (period of unusually low rain fall) · pjt ailuru (period of unusually low rain fall) · th น้ำแล้ง (period of unusually low rain fall) · tl baisi (period of unusually low rain fall) · pam laui (period of unusually low rain fall) · km រាំងរំហួត (period of unusually low rain fall) · th แล้ง (period of unusually low rain fall) · pt seca (period of unusually low rain fall) · sw ukame (period of unusually low rain fall) · tr kuraklık (period of unusually low rain fall) · kn ಬರ (period of unusually low rain fall) · gu દુકાળ (period of unusually low rain fall) · pl susza (period of unusually low rain fall) · be сухме́нь (period of unusually low rain fall) · bo ཐན་པ (period of unusually low rain fall) · nl droogte (period of unusually low rain fall) · hy երաշտ (period of unusually low rain fall) · fo turkur (period of unusually low rain fall) · be за́суха (period of unusually low rain fall) · grc αὐχμός (period of unusually low rain fall) · ast seca (period of unusually low rain fall) · bg су́ша (period of unusually low rain fall) · cy sychdwr m sychin (period of unusually low rain fall) · hi सूखा (period of unusually low rain fall) · da tørke (period of unusually low rain fall) · zdj ntsahaya nkavu (period of unusually low rain fall) · is þurrkar (period of unusually low rain fall) · sl suša (period of unusually low rain fall) · lo ໄພແຫ້ງແລ້ງ (period of unusually low rain fall) · mn ган (period of unusually low rain fall) · sn shangwa (period of unusually low rain fall) · gl secura (period of unusually low rain fall) · ca secada (period of unusually low rain fall) · cmn 旱災 /旱灾 (period of unusually low rain fall) · nmn ǁqáa (period of unusually low rain fall) · lb Dréchent (period of unusually low rain fall) · ae 𐬛𐬎𐬲𐬌𐬌𐬁𐬌𐬭𐬌𐬌𐬀 (period of unusually low rain fall) · mk суша (period of unusually low rain fall) · de Dürre (period of unusually low rain fall) · rup sicãturã (period of unusually low rain fall) · am ድርቅ (period of unusually low rain fall) · hu aszály (period of unusually low rain fall) · kk құрғақшылық (period of unusually low rain fall)