rain

noun, often attributive

\ ˈrān

Definition of rain

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : water falling in drops condensed from vapor in the atmosphere

b : the descent of this water

c : water that has fallen as rain : rainwater

2a : a fall of rain : rainstorm

b rains plural : the rainy season

3 : rainy weather

4 : a heavy fall a rain of arrows

rain

verb

rained; raining; rains

Definition of rain (Entry 2 of 2)

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

rain cats and dogs

: to rain heavily

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about rain

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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

Mercado hit a two-run shot and Francisco Lindor added a two-run double in a five-run second inning, as Cleveland bolted to a 7-0 lead through three before the game was halted by rain for 2 hours, 7 minutes. — Brian Dulik, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Tigers limited to one hit in 8-0 loss vs. 4 Cleveland pitchers," 17 July 2019 There was less rain this year over the Memorial Day and Independence Day holiday weekends which put more boaters on the waterways. — Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al.com, "Alabama suffers 25 boating deaths in 2019, the deadliest year on state waters since 1998," 17 July 2019 The grandstand was full and the gallery framed the entire par 3, despite heavy clouds that began to darken with the promise of more rain at Royal Portrush. — Doug Ferguson, BostonGlobe.com, "Rory McIlroy the center of attention at Royal Portrush," 17 July 2019 Cooler weather and increasing rain chances may bring relief from the heat early next week thanks to an approaching cold front. — Dallas News, "NBC 5 Forecast: Summer heat continues," 17 July 2019 Harvey dumped as much as 60 inches of rain on Houston and Beaumont metro areas and claimed 68 lives. — Houston Chronicle, "Report: EPA fell short reaching “vulnerable communities” hit by Harvey," 16 July 2019 More than a hundred people have died and millions were forced to leave their homes as monsoon rains have devastated parts of India, Nepal and Bangladesh. — Amy Gunia, Time, "Millions Displaced as Monsoon Floods Hit India, Nepal and Bangladesh," 16 July 2019 Remember a few weeks ago when everyone was complaining about too much rain? — Sarah Ladd, The Courier-Journal, "'Oppressive' heat and humidity hitting Louisville area through the weekend," 16 July 2019 Pittman's hurricane videos have become a hurricane-season YouTube ritual - a rain dance in defiance of the weather. — Author: Logan Hill, Anchorage Daily News, "Is it OK to laugh at Florida Man?," 16 July 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Boos rained down on him in pregame introductions and on every defensive play and plate appearance. — Maria Torres, Los Angeles Times, "Angels hit Jake Marisnick and don’t back down from Astros as win streak reaches five," 16 July 2019 At this point, the hail either rains down or, if the updrafts are strong enough, travels back up into the clouds to start the process all over again, growing in size until the swirling air can no longer support its weight. — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian, "A Summer Hailstorm Buried the Mexican City of Guadalajara Under Ice," 2 July 2019 Its clouds rain methane and its surface temperature is around -290 degrees Fahrenheit. — Richard Tribou, orlandosentinel.com, "NASA to send flying drone Dragonfly to Saturn moon Titan," 27 June 2019 On May 1 in Kiev, as invisible fallout rained down, children in shirtsleeves marched past reviewing stands that usually held Soviet officials. — Mona Charen, National Review, "Lessons of Chernobyl," 7 June 2019 Other videos showed the girls enjoying time at multiple clubs, having a bevy of drinks and Cartwright holding tons of dollar bills as even more rained down around her. — Jen Juneau, PEOPLE.com, "Vanderpump Rules Cast Celebrates Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright's Bachelor/Bachelorette Bash," 6 June 2019 The lunar rocks ultimately tell us of a violent chapter in solar system history, when a period known as the Late Heavy Bombardment rained down space rocks, heavily scarring the inner planets. — Korey Haynes, Discover Magazine, "Legacy of Lunar Data: How Apollo Revealed our Moon," 20 May 2019 Whether shots rained in from distance or close range, Begovic would almost always save the day. — SI.com, "Throwback: The 50 Best Bargains You've Ever Picked Up in FIFA Ultimate Team," 19 June 2019 As golden confetti rained from the rafters, Tyler succumbed his joyous tears and his mom jumped for joy in the wings before running out to embrace her son. — Rebecca Angel Baer, Southern Living, "Watch This 11-Year-Old North Carolina Boy’s Golden Moment from America’s Got Talent," 12 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rain.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.