rain
noun /reɪn/
/reɪn/
Idioms - [uncountable, singular] water that falls from the sky in separate drops
- There will be rain in all parts tomorrow.
- The rain was falling more heavily now.
- Rain is forecast for the weekend.
- in the rain Don't go out in the rain.
- It's pouring with rain (= raining very hard).
- heavy/torrential/pouring/driving rain
- The rain poured down.
- It looks like rain (= as if it is going to rain).
- A light rain began to fall.
- I think I felt a drop of rain.
- Typically, we get nearly 5 inches of rain in June.
- rain clouds/showers
- I remember too the sound of the rain on the tin roof.
- Sleet, snow, and rain lashed down.
- Some people sheltered from the rain in shop doorways.
Homophones rain | reign | reinrain reign rein/reɪn//reɪn/- rain noun
- Look at that rain! We'll be drenched if it doesn't stop.
- rain verb
- Take an umbrella—it's going to rain.
- reign noun
- The country changed dramatically during her long reign.
- reign verb
- Henry Bolingbroke was soon to reign in England as Henry IV.
- rein noun
- She's been given free rein to spend the money however she wants.
- rein verb
- They should learn to rein in their opinions, otherwise they'll offend somebody.
Vocabulary Building Rain and stormsRain and stormsRain- Drizzle is fine light rain.
- A shower is a short period of rain.
- A downpour or a cloudburst is a heavy fall of rain that often starts suddenly.
- When it is raining very hard you can say that it is pouring. In informal British English you can also say that it is bucketing down or chucking it down. You can also say: The heavens opened.
- A cyclone and a typhoon are types of violent tropical storms with very strong winds.
- A hurricane has very strong winds and is usually at sea.
- A monsoon is a period of very heavy rain in particular countries, or the wind that brings this rain.
- A squall is a sudden strong, violent wind, usually in a rainstorm or snowstorm.
- A tornado (or informal twister) has very strong winds which move in a circle, often with a long narrow cloud.
- A whirlwind moves very fast in circles and causes a lot of damage.
- A blizzard is a snowstorm with very strong winds.
- Tempest is used mainly in literary language to describe a violent storm.
Collocations The weatherThe weatherGood weathersee also acid rain, rainy- be bathed in/bask in/be blessed with/enjoy bright/brilliant/glorious sunshine
- the sun shines/warms something/beats down (on something)
- the sunshine breaks/streams through something
- fluffy/wispy clouds drift across the sky
- a gentle/light/stiff/cool/warm/sea breeze blows in/comes in off the sea
- the snow crunches beneath/under somebody’s feet/boots
- thick/dark/storm clouds form/gather/roll in/cover the sky/block out the sun
- the sky darkens/turns black
- a fine mist hangs in the air
- a dense/heavy/thick fog rolls in
- the rain falls/comes down (in buckets/sheets)/pours down
- snow falls/comes down/covers something
- the wind blows/whistles/howls/picks up/whips through something/sweeps across something
- strong/gale-force winds blow/gust (up to 80 mph)
- a storm is approaching/is moving inland/hits/strikes/rages
- thunder rolls/rumbles/sounds
- (forked/sheet) lightning strikes/hits/flashes
- a (blinding/snow) blizzard hits/strikes/blows/rages
- a tornado touches down/hits/strikes/destroys something/rips through something
- forecast/expect/predict rain/snow/a category-four hurricane
- (North American English) pour (down)/ (British English) pour (down) with rain
- get caught in/seek shelter from/escape the rain
- be covered/shrouded in mist/a blanket of fog
- be in for/brave/shelter from a/the storm
- hear rolling/distant thunder
- be battered/buffeted by strong winds
- (British English) be blowing a gale
- battle against/brave the elements
- the sun breaks through the clouds
- the sky clears/brightens (up)/lightens (up)
- the clouds part/clear
- the rain stops/lets up/holds off
- the wind dies down
- the storm passes
- the mist/fog lifts/clears
Wordfinder- downpour
- drought
- flash flood
- monsoon
- precipitation
- puddle
- rain
- shelter
- shower
- squall
Extra ExamplesTopics Weathera1- The forecast is for wind and light rain.
- Heavy rain drenched us.
- The fine rain turned to mist in the early evening.
- We drove slowly through the driving rain.
- We found her sitting in the pouring rain.
- Black clouds threatened rain.
- With rain threatening, we headed home as fast as we could.
- Come in out of the rain.
- The rain came just as we set off.
- None of us had proper rain gear.
- The rain didn't let up all day.
- Overnight rain had freshened up the garden.
- Rain beat against the roof all night.
- She listened to the rain pattering against the window.
- Rain dripped down his collar.
- The rain drove the players off the court.
- The rain had set in steadily by the time we got home.
- We could do with a spot of rain.
- We got caught in the rain on the way home.
- We had three inches of rain last night.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- driving
- hard
- lashing
- …
- drop
- inch
- shower
- …
- forecast
- look like
- threaten
- …
- come down
- fall
- pour down
- …
- cloud
- drop
- water
- …
- in the rain
- out of the rain
- through the rain
- …
- come rain or shine
- rain or shine
- the rains[plural] the season of heavy continuous rain in tropical countries
- The rains come in September.
- The monsoon rains started early this year.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- driving
- hard
- lashing
- …
- drop
- inch
- shower
- …
- forecast
- look like
- threaten
- …
- come down
- fall
- pour down
- …
- cloud
- drop
- water
- …
- in the rain
- out of the rain
- through the rain
- …
- come rain or shine
- rain or shine
- [singular] rain of something a large number of things falling from the sky at the same time
- a rain of bullets
- The archers poured a rain of arrows on the enemy.
Word OriginOld English regn (noun), regnian (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch regen and German Regen.
Idioms
come rain, come shine/(come) rain or shine
- whether there is rain or sun; whatever happens
- He goes jogging every morning, rain or shine.
- We work outside every day, rain or shine.
(as) right as rain
- (informal) in excellent health or condition