dry spell
Americannoun
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a prolonged period of dry weather.
-
a period of little or no productivity or activity, low income, etc.
Etymology
Origin of dry spell
First recorded in 1885–90
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The region remains locked in a multi-year dry spell.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 18, 2026
Aduhelm received accelerated Food and Drug Administration approval in 2021, ending a two-decade dry spell without any new Alzheimer’s treatments.
From Barron's ● May 14, 2026
But Italy has suffered through a dry spell more recently.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 27, 2026
Florida is in the midst of its worst drought in 25 years, but the dry spell actually ranked far down on the list of challenges these bedraggled growers were facing.
From Slate ● Apr. 20, 2026
After rain fell on September 9, a warm, deadly dry spell followed, lasting over a month.
From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
