cloudburst

noun

cloud·​burst ˈklau̇d-ˌbərst 

1

: a sudden copious rainfall

2

: a sudden outpouring : deluge

a cloudburst of anger

Synonyms of cloudburst

• rain
• storm

Examples of cloudburst in a Sentence

A cloudburst caused the river to flood.

the weatherman warned of possible cloudbursts in the afternoon

Recent Examples on the Web

Last year, cloudbursts, floods and landslides caused significant loss of life and property across India. — ABC News, 8 July 2026

The storm, which hit the New York area in October, 2012, unlocked billions of dollars in resilience spending, with hurricanes, rather than heat waves or cloudbursts, as the focus. — Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026

Higher temperatures allow the air to hold more moisture, and extreme rainfall events called cloudbursts are occurring more frequently. — Elizabeth Anne Brown, Scientific American, 20 Jan. 2026

The whole experience tasted of the sea and the end of summer, punctuated by soft little cloudbursts on the palate. — The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1869, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for cloudburst

• accursed
• amerced
• coerced
• conversed
• disbursed
• dispersed
• headfirst
• immersed
• outburst
• rehearsed
• reversed
• starburst

Kids Definition

cloudburst

noun

cloud·​burst ˈklau̇d-ˌbərst 

: a sudden heavy rainfall