drought
gb/dɹˈaʊt/ us/dɹˈaʊt/
B2
English
~ 6900
aszály, szárazság, ínséges időszak, gólcsend, pangás
NOUN
B2
1
Usage pattern:
[a place] experiences a drought
After two years of drought, the reservoirs were almost empty.
Két év aszály után a víztározók szinte teljesen kiürültek.
The country is suffering its worst drought in fifty years.
Az országot az elmúlt ötven év legsúlyosabb aszálya sújtja.
Farmers are struggling to keep their crops alive during the ongoing drought.
Water restrictions were introduced to help the city cope with the drought.
Satellite images show how the drought has turned green fields into brown dust.
Learner examples
The village had a long drought, and the river dried up.
A falut hosszú aszály sújtotta, és a folyó kiszáradt.
Because of the drought, people could not water their gardens.
Az aszály miatt az emberek nem tudták locsolni a kertjüket.
Many animals died during the drought.
The government sent water to the town after the drought.
In the drought, the grass on the farms turned yellow.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "drought" (lack of rain) with "draught" (British spelling for a current of air or a drink from a barrel). Another mistake is using "drought" to mean only hot weather; however, a drought is about low rainfall, not temperature. Also, avoid saying *"a drought of rain"*; simply say "a drought" or "a long drought" when you already mean lack of rain.
Meaning
long period with too little rain
Collocations
severe drought
|prolonged drought
|drought conditions
|suffer a drought
|drought relief
|drought-stricken area
Synonyms
dry spell (Less formal and can refer to a shorter or less serious period without rain.)
|
water shortage (Focuses on the lack of available water, not specifically on low rainfall.)
Antonyms
flood (Refers to too much water, often from heavy rain, which contrasts with the extreme lack of water in a drought.)
|
rainy season (A time of the year with a lot of rain, the opposite of a long dry period.)
Themes
environment
|weather
|agriculture
|nature
Definition
A long time with much less rain than usual in a place, so the land and water supplies become very dry.
A long period of abnormally low rainfall in a region, leading to a shortage of water and very dry conditions.
NOUN
C1
2
Usage pattern:
a drought of [something]
The team finally scored after a six-game goal drought.
A csapat hatmeccses gólcsend után végre betalált.
I'm going through a bit of a creative drought and haven't written anything new in weeks.
Egy kis alkotói válságon megyek keresztül, és hetek óta nem írtam semmi újat.
After a long drought of funding, the project at last received new investment.
The company hopes the holiday season will end its sales drought.
He broke his three-year trophy drought by winning the championship.
Learner examples
The player ended his goal drought with two goals in one game.
A játékos egy meccsen két gólt lőtt, és ezzel véget vetett a gólcsendjének.
I have a job drought; I have not had any work for months.
Most munkából ínséges időszakot élek át; hónapok óta nincs munkám.
She felt a creative drought and could not paint anything.
The store had a long sales drought before business improved.
The team had a win drought, but they did not give up.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use the wrong preposition, saying *"drought in goals"* instead of the more natural "drought of goals." Another mistake is overusing this figurative sense in very serious contexts where a simpler word like "lack" or "shortage" is more natural. Be careful not to confuse this figurative sense with the weather meaning; if you say "a drought of workers," it means too few workers, not dry weather.
Meaning
long period without something wanted
Collocations
a goal drought
|a scoring drought
|a creative drought
|a cash drought
|a sales drought
Synonyms
shortage (General word for not having enough of something; does not always suggest a long period like "drought" does.)
|
dry spell (Informal; often used for a temporary period without success, dates, or good results.)
Antonyms
plenty (Suggests a large or more than sufficient amount, which contrasts with a long lack of something.)
|
boom (Refers to a period of strong growth or success, the opposite of a drought of success or money.)
Themes
daily life
|sports
|work
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A long time when there is almost none of something people usually have or want, like money, ideas, or goals in a game.
A long period with very little or none of something that is usually present or desired, such as success, money, or ideas.
Grammar
Dictionary form
drought
IPA
GB/dɹˈaʊt/
US/dɹˈaʊt/
Syllables & stress
drought (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (drought)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: drought
- Plural: drought, droughts
Word family
Expressions
a creative drought
1/ə kɹiˈeɪtɪv dɹˈaʊt/
fixed phrase
long period without creative ideas
A long time when a person cannot think of new creative ideas or make new creative work.
Examples
- After a long creative drought, the artist suddenly painted three new pieces in one week.
- The writer talked openly about his creative drought and how he slowly overcame it.
a goal drought
1/ə ɡˈoʊl dɹˈaʊt/
fixed phrase
long period without scoring goals
A long time in a sport when a player or team does not score any goals.
Examples
- The club is under pressure after a five-match goal drought.
- He ended his goal drought with a hat-trick in front of the home fans.
break the drought
1/bɹˈeɪk ðə dɹˈaʊt/
idiom
end a long period of lack
To finally have success or get something again after a long time without it.
Examples
- The striker broke the drought with a brilliant goal in the final minutes.
- After months without a sale, she finally broke the drought with a big new client.
end a drought
1/ˈɛnd ə dɹˈaʊt/
fixed phrase
make a drought stop
To make a long time without something come to an end, either rain or something else like wins or money.
Examples
- Heavy rains finally ended the drought that had ruined local crops.
- The team is desperate to end its championship drought this season.