drought

/draut/ Cách viết khác : (drouth) /drauθ/

Thân thiện

A farmer looks out over a field cracked by drought.

Definition

Noun 1. A prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall, leading to a shortage of water. This is the primary and most common meaning, referring to a meteorological and environmental condition. 2. A prolonged shortage or lack of something. This is a figurative extension, used to describe a long period without a desired event or resource.

Usage and Examples

• Literal (Meteorological):

  • The severe drought has caused crop failures across the region.
  • Water conservation measures are essential during a drought.
  • Scientists are studying the link between climate change and more frequent droughts.

• Figurative (Shortage):

  • The team's championship victory ended a 20-year drought. (A long period without winning.)
  • The company is suffering from a drought of new ideas. (A prolonged lack of ideas.)
  • After a drought of good films, this summer has several excellent releases. (A period without good films.)

Advanced Usage

• "To break a drought": To end a prolonged period of shortage or failure.
  • The recent rains have helped break the drought.
  • The rookie hitter broke his hitting drought with a home run.

Variants and Related Words

• Drouth (noun): An archaic or dialectal variant spelling and pronunciation of "drought" (/draʊθ/). It is less common in modern standard English.
• Droughty (adjective): Characterized by or suffering from drought.
  • The droughty landscape was parched and brown.

Synonyms

• Dry spell: A brief period of dry weather; can also be used figuratively.
• Aridity: The state of being extremely dry.
• Water shortage: A more direct term for the lack of water.
• Famine (in severe contexts): Extreme scarcity of food, often caused by drought.
• Dearth: A scarcity or lack of something (often used figuratively).

Related Phrases and Idioms

• Drought-resistant (adjective): Able to survive with very little water.
  • Farmers are planting more drought-resistant crops.
• Drought-stricken (adjective): Severely affected by drought.
  • Aid was sent to the drought-stricken province.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a prolonged shortage
   • when England defeated Pakistan it ended a ten-year drought
2. a shortage of rainfall
   • farmers most affected by the drought hope that there may yet be sufficient rain early in the growing season

Từ đồng nghĩa

• drouth