rain

1 of 2

noun

ˈrān How to pronounce rain (audio)
often attributive
Synonyms of rainnext
1
a
: water falling in drops condensed from vapor in the atmosphere
b
: the descent of this water
c
: water that has fallen as rain : rainwater
2
a
: a fall of rain : rainstorm
b
rains plural : the rainy season
3
: rainy weather
4
: a heavy fall
a rain of arrows

rain

2 of 2

verb

rained; raining; rains

intransitive verb

1
: to send down rain
2
: to fall as water in drops from the clouds
3
: to fall like rain
soot and ash rained down

transitive verb

1
: to pour down
2
: to give or administer abundantly
rained blows on his head
Phrases
rain cats and dogs
: to rain heavily

Synonyms

Noun

Verb

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of rain in a Sentence

Noun The weatherman forecasts rain for this afternoon. Everyone went inside when the rain began to fall. What the garden needs is a good, soaking rain. A light rain began to fall. There has been some flooding due to the recent heavy rains. We've had a week of rain. The rains came and flooded the valley. Verb Sparks from the fireworks rained on the field. The volcano rained ashes on the city.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Related Articles Bay Area rain: Who got the most and least? —Rick Hurd, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024 Each jacket offers a different degree of protection from cold, wind, and rain. —Abigail Barronian, Outside Online, 11 Nov. 2024
Verb
Conditions ranged from single digits in Wyoming to rain in North Idaho to 70-mph gusts on New Hampshire’s Mount Washington. —Frederick Reimers, Outside Online, 4 Nov. 2024 But today, while some of those things may happen on a smaller scale, no authority is raining down information. —Joe Hudicka, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for rain 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English reyn, from Old English regn, rēn; akin to Old High German regan rain

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rain was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing rain

Dictionary Entries Near rain

Raimondi

rain

rain area

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Rain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rain. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

rain

1 of 2 noun
ˈrān How to pronounce rain (audio)
1
a
: water falling in drops from clouds
b
: the falling of such water
2
a
: rainstorm
b
plural : the rainy season
3
: rainy weather
a week of rain
4
: a heavy fall
a rain of arrows
rainless
-ləs
adjective

rain

2 of 2 verb
1
: to fall as water in drops from the clouds
2
: to send down rain
3
: to fall like rain
ashes rained from the volcano
4
: to give in large amounts
rained blows on each other

More from Merriam-Webster on rain

Nglish: Translation of rain for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of rain for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rain

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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