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

With the monsoon season fast approaching, the United Nations has warned the crisis could escalate without immediate and sustained international support. —Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2025

Its courtyard serves as a natural collection area for rainwater, with the curved, perforated wall directing monsoon rains into a captivating flow. —New Atlas, 20 Feb. 2025

The region has a tropical monsoon climate with a dry and wet season. —Nathan Diller, USA TODAY, 25 Nov. 2024

Temperatures in Greenland rose by up to 20° Fahrenheit over just a couple of decades, leading to the failure of monsoons in Central Asia and crippling drought in central Africa. —Kale Williams, Axios, 25 Oct. 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

Rhymes for monsoon

• attune
• baboon
• balloon
• bassoon
• buffoon
• cartoon
• cocoon
• festoon
• gaboon
• harpoon
• immune
• impugn

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