rainy day

noun

: a period of want or need
saving for a rainy day
rainy-day adjective

Examples of rainy day in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In the event that more Medicaid funding would be needed, the General Assembly authorized Moore to tap the rainy day fund — up to $90 million in the 2024 fiscal year and $100 million in the 2025 fiscal year. Sam Janesch, Baltimore Sun, 10 July 2024 In the meantime, the state plans to dip into that rainy day fund, pulling out more than $12 billion over the next two years to address the fiscal shortfall. Calmatters, The Mercury News, 23 June 2024 According to the new report, exceptional rainfall in May and rainy days last week diminished water quality significantly. Evan Bush, NBC News, 21 June 2024 Ignatowski came to Smash Avenue with her sister and friend during spring vacation as something fun to do on a rainy day. Jessica Hill, Hartford Courant, 30 Apr. 2024 Precipitation totals on rainy days were light, with the highest on record at only one-tenth of an inch. Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 26 May 2024 Connecticut’s emergency budget reserve, commonly known as the rainy day fund, holds a record-setting $3.3 billion, equal to 15% of General Fund expenses. Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 18 Apr. 2024 The date was chosen because the weather is generally good, though early sunshine on Saturday gave way to a blustery, rainy day in London. Jill Lawless The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 16 June 2024 And the $750 million would be used to expand the state’s record-setting $3.3 billion rainy day fund and to pay down pension debt. Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 2 Apr. 2024

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

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1580, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rainy day was circa 1580

Dictionary Entries Near rainy day

Cite this Entry

“Rainy day.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rainy%20day. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.

Kids Definition

rainy day

noun
: a period of need or want
set a little money aside for a rainy day
rainy-day adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on rainy day

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!