rainnoun [ U ]
uk/reɪn/us/reɪn/A1 drops of water from clouds:
Rain is forecast for tomorrow.
Come inside out of the rain.
We had heavy/light rain all day.
We got caught in pouring/torrential (= a lot of) rain without either raincoats or umbrellas.
There will be showers of rain/rain showers (= short periods of rain) in the east.
It looks like rain (= as if rain is going to fall).
the rains [ plural ]
the season of the year in tropical countries when there is a lot of rain:
Villagers are now waiting for the rains to come so that the rice will grow.
This is the third year in a row that the rains have failed.
More examples
- Do you think those are rain clouds on the horizon?
- All I could hear was the drip of the rain from the roof.
- At last the rain began to ease off.
- All areas of the country will have some rain tonight.
- The water level in the lake is much higher after heavy rain.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Precipitation: rain
- acid rain
- bucket
- bucket down
- cloudburst
- drizzle
- heaven
- it's raining cats and dogs! idiom
- puddle
- rain gauge
- rainbow
- raindrop
- rainstorm
- rainwater
- Scotch mist
- shower
- sprinkle
- teem
- wash
- washout
- wet
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Names of months
Idiom(s)
come rain or shine
rainverb [ I ]
uk/reɪn/us/reɪn/A1 If it rains, water falls from the sky in small drops:
I think it's starting to rain.
It's raining hard/heavily (= a large amount of rain is falling).
More examples
- There's a slight coolness in the air - do you think it's going to rain?
- This little stream can become a deluge when it rains heavily.
- It's rained all day today.
- It had been raining hard most of the afternoon.
- You'll have to stay in at playtime today, because it's raining.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Precipitation: rain
- acid rain
- bucket
- bucket down
- cloudburst
- drizzle
- heaven
- it's raining cats and dogs! idiom
- puddle
- rain gauge
- rainbow
- raindrop
- rainstorm
- rainwater
- Scotch mist
- shower
- sprinkle
- teem
- wash
- washout
- wet
See more results »
Idiom(s)
it never rains but it pours
it's raining cats and dogs!
rain on sb's parade
Phrasal verb(s)
rain (sth) down
rain sth off