1
a
: a long shallow often V-shaped receptacle for the drinking water or feed of domestic animals
b
: any of various domestic or industrial containers
2
a
: a conduit, drain, or channel for water
especially
: a gutter along the eaves of a building
b
: a long and narrow or shallow channel or depression (as between waves or hills)
especially
: a long but shallow depression in the bed of the sea compare trench
3
: the minimum point of a complete cycle of a periodic function: such as
a
: an elongated area of low barometric pressure
b
: the low point in a business cycle
Examples of trough in a Sentence
The economy is in a trough right now.
all of the wiring for the converted residential loft is concealed in a vertical trough
Recent Examples on the Web
The most powerful portion of the storm was expected in the area late Tuesday night into Wednesday, with showers continuing into Christmas Day on Thursday, and a second trough pushing into the region Friday into Saturday.
—
City News Service, Oc Register, 23 Dec. 2025
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Volatility is nothing new for crypto investors, and 2025 has been a wild ride, with bitcoin climbing above $125,000 in October before experiencing several sharp drops — peak to trough, a decline of over $40,000 from its record high.
—Cheryl Winokur Munk, CNBC, 21 Dec. 2025
The wooden apparatus was replaced with a heavy-duty, metal trough.
—Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 21 Dec. 2025
That pattern included a strong ridge over the Bering Sea, a trough of low pressure south of Alaska (L), and another weak high-pressure ridge (H) just west of California.
—Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trough
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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City News Service, Oc Register, 23 Dec. 2025
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Volatility is nothing new for crypto investors, and 2025 has been a wild ride, with bitcoin climbing above $125,000 in October before experiencing several sharp drops — peak to trough, a decline of over $40,000 from its record high.
—Cheryl Winokur Munk, CNBC, 21 Dec. 2025
The wooden apparatus was replaced with a heavy-duty, metal trough.
—Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 21 Dec. 2025
That pattern included a strong ridge over the Bering Sea, a trough of low pressure south of Alaska (L), and another weak high-pressure ridge (H) just west of California.
—Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trough
Cite this Entry
“Trough.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trough. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
trough
noun1
: a long shallow container for the drinking water or feed of domestic animals
2
: a pipe, drain, or channel for water
especially
: gutter entry 1 sense 1a
3
: a long and narrow or shallow hollow (as between waves or hills)
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