monsoon

noun

mon·​soon män-ˈsün 

ˈmän-ˌsün

1

: a periodic wind especially in the Indian Ocean and southern Asia

2

: the season of the southwest monsoon in India and adjacent areas that is characterized by very heavy rainfall

3

: rainfall that is associated with the monsoon

monsoonal

män-ˈsü-nᵊl 

ˈmän-ˌsü-

adjective

Examples of monsoon in a Sentence

floods caused by summer monsoons

Recent Examples on the Web

During monsoon season, the whole area becomes a flood zone. —Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2025

Floods from the yearly monsoon rains also left millions stranded and hundreds dead in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, and Nepal, making this year one of the deadliest in recent memory. —Curtis S. Chin and Jose B. Collazo, CNBC, 25 Dec. 2024

The banks below the Santa Rita Mountains once teemed with runoff and springs fed by winter storms and summer monsoon rains, only to be pumped mostly dry by the mid-20th century. —Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 23 Dec. 2024

The ancient amphibians burrowed into the riverbed, seemingly seeking moisture when the monsoons ended. —Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

obsolete Dutch monssoen, from Portuguese monção, from Arabic mawsim time, season

First Known Use

1584, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

monsoon

noun

mon·​soon män-ˈsün 

1

: a periodic wind in the Indian Ocean and southern Asia

2

: the rainy season that accompanies the southwest monsoon

3

: rainfall that is associated with the monsoon season