English Reference
Verb

parched

v.
B2 Upper Intermediate US /ˈpɑɹtʃt/ UK /pˈɑːtʃt/ parched

v.extremely dry and thirsty. You use this to describe a person who needs water or a place that has no rain.

v.extremely dry; suffering from a severe lack of moisture or water. Often used to describe a person's physical state or the condition of a landscape.


SIMPLE

The hikers were parched after walking through the desert all day.

CONTEXTUAL

After the long summer heatwave, the local park was a parched wasteland with no grass left.

COMPLEX

The parched earth cracked open as the drought continued, leaving the once-fertile valley unable to support even the hardiest of crops.

A cornfield, parched by the heatwave on the road to Albi via Gaillac in Tarn-et-Garonne, France.

The Guardian· 18 Aug 2026
This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated