noun
washout
WO-showt
noun
1
Damage or a channel caused when a rush of water erodes soil, a road, or a railway line.
"A washout closed the mountain road for three days."
2
An event that is cancelled or ruined by rain.
"The whole festival was a washout this year."
3
(informal) A complete failure, or a person who has failed to succeed at something.
"The project turned out to be a total washout."
"He dropped out of pilot training, calling himself a washout."
How to Use Washout
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA failure or ruin caused by rain, or more generally, any total flop.
When to use it
Informal, especially the "failure/person who failed" sense.
Word Forms
washouts plural
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A _____ closed the mountain road for three days.
Etymology
Formed from the phrasal verb "wash out."