drought
/draʊt/ IELTSAcademic
noun
a long period with little or no rain, causing water shortage and dry land. It can also mean a shortage of something useful or needed.
- The region suffered a severe drought.
- Farmers worried about the drought.
- There is a drought of clean water in summer.
Adinary Nuance
Drought is more specific than dryness. Use drought for a long, serious lack of rain or water, not just a dry day or dry weather. It is stronger and more serious than dry spell, which can be shorter and less severe. In newspapers and academic writing, drought often suggests damage to farming, drinking water, or the environment.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- hạn hán
- Spanish
- sequía
- Chinese
- 干旱
- Japanese
- 干ばつ
- Korean
- 가뭄
Etymology
Drought comes from Old English drūgath, related to dry. It has been used in English for a long time to mean a dry period with little rain.
Common phrases
severe droughtprolonged droughtduring the droughtdrought conditions
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is drought a formal word?
- Yes, it is common in news, school writing, and academic English.
- What is the difference between drought and dry spell?
- A drought is longer and more serious. A dry spell is usually shorter and less severe.
- Can drought mean a shortage of something else?
- Yes. It can mean a shortage of something needed, like money or ideas.
- How do I use drought in a sentence?
- Say: "The village faced a drought." or "There was a drought of rain."