rain

1 of 2

noun

often attributive
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

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
Noun
Much of the state, especially Central Arkansas, is forecast to get one and half to two inches of rain, the briefing said. Remington Miller, arkansasonline.com, 12 Mar. 2024 The moderately challenging loop is beautiful at any time of year, but going during the springtime — especially after winter rains — is a genuine delight. Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2024 No matter how much sweat, rain, and/or tears come across your face throughout the day, Urban Decay's Quickie Concealer will stay put without fading or creasing. Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 8 Mar. 2024 Northwestern Mutual Community Park will close if weather includes rain, snow, ice and below freezing temperatures. Alex Groth, Journal Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2024 The machine’s sound options, which include white noise, rain, and wind, are designed to be soft and soothing for all ages, including babies. Adria Greenhauff, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Mar. 2024 On Friday, there is an 80% chance of rain with possible thunderstorms after 4 p.m. Up to half an inch of new rainfall is predicted. Angela Rodriguez, Sacramento Bee, 29 Feb. 2024 There’s a slight chance of rain in L.A., Orange and Ventura counties during the day Friday, a probability that grows on Friday night. Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 29 Feb. 2024 Tomorrow, some help could come in the form of light rain in the morning. NBC News, 29 Feb. 2024
Verb
Every autumn, hickory nuts and broken shells would rain down on our lawn, turning the grass into a rolling minefield of debris. Melanie McCabe, Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2024 Russian forces in the Kupiansk region were sending barrages of artillery raining down on Ukrainian lines. Nicole Tung, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2024 Rain likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 1 a.m., then rain between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m., then rain and possibly a thunderstorm after 4 a.m. Low around 53. Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 8 Mar. 2024 Knives raining down on fire crews Township officials said Tuesday that the site, a former Save-A-Lot retail and warehouse store, wasn't supposed to have butane and nitrous oxide tanks inside. Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 6 Mar. 2024 Tokyo's Kameido Tenjin Shrine is a popular destination for viewing lavender-colored wisteria raining down in bunches. Talia Avakian, Travel + Leisure, 2 Mar. 2024 As Baylor rained down 3-pointers in the second half, Self could only look on, yelling out to his team and shaking his head. Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 2 Mar. 2024 Travis Kelce can pop the question to Swift on the field as confetti rains down upon them. Doug McIntyre, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024 Peak snowfall rates of up to 1 inch per hours are possible before the snow changes over to rain as temperatures rise into the mid 30s in the evening. Brian Manzullo, Detroit Free Press, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rain.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near rain

Cite this Entry

“Rain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rain. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

rain

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: water falling in drops from clouds
b
: the falling of such water
2
a
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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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