monsoon

noun

mon·​soon män-ˈsün How to pronounce monsoon (audio)
ˈmän-ˌsün
Synonyms of monsoonnext
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 How to pronounce monsoon (audio)
ˈmän-ˌsü-
adjective

Examples of monsoon in a Sentence

floods caused by summer monsoons
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The incident came during the Southwest's monsoon season, a period Bryce Canyon officials had warned visitors about earlier this month. — Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 26 Aug. 2026 Fires had recently gutted parts of the camps; months later, monsoon downpours would trigger deadly landslides around its tarpaulin-and-bamboo shelters. — Lorcan Lovett, NPR, 25 Aug. 2026 Heat, sunlight exposure, monsoons, animals and others speed up decomposition, Hess says. — Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026 The areas that have had significant rainfall from this month's monsoon storms have seen a slight downtick in the drought levels -- for example, parts of southwest and northwest Colorado have seen many areas drop from extreme to severe. — Dave Aguilera, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for monsoon

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of monsoon was in 1584

Rhymes for monsoon

See All Rhymes for monsoon

Browse Nearby Words

Monsoni
monsoon
monsoon forest
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Monsoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monsoon. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

monsoon

noun
mon·​soon män-ˈsün How to pronounce monsoon (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on monsoon

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for monsoon

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about monsoon

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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