rain 1 of 2

noun

ˈrān How to pronounce rain (audio)
Definition of rainnext
1
as in rainfall
a steady falling of water from the sky in significant quantity the rain continued for most of the day

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hail
a heavy fall of objects the Norman invaders fled when the castle's defenders threw a rain of stones down upon them

Synonyms & Similar Words

rain

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to pour
to fall as water in a continuous stream of drops from the clouds it started raining early this morning and hasn't let up since

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to lavish
to give readily and in large quantities she rained praise upon her graduating students the squadron rained bombs on the enemy's fortifications

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rain
Noun
Now’s the time to buy a new rain jacket, while Patagonia’s award-winning Torrentshell 3L style is 30 percent off. — Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 10 July 2026 The Reynolds County sheriff's office said emergency responders had more than 90 water rescues of campers and people in cars after several inches of rain fell overnight into the morning across a long swath of central and eastern Missouri. — ABC News, 10 July 2026
Verb
As God rains down sulfur and fire to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot’s wife glances back and turns into a pillar of salt. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 July 2026 Just this week, Russia launched one of its largest attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine yet, an 11-hour barrage of missiles and drones raining over Kiev that killed at least 20. — Tristan Bove, Fortune, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for rain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rain
  1. rainfall
  2. hail
  3. pour
  4. lavish
  5. storm
  6. barrage
  7. flood
  8. heap
Noun
  • Tropical Storm Maysak brought record rainfall to Guangxi starting Saturday, breaching reservoirs and stranding people for days in homes and other buildings.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 July 2026
  • For the southern part of the state, that means a higher chance of above-average rainfall, risking a winter of flash floods and landslides.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
Definition of rainfall
Noun
  • Be ready for quarter-sized hail (1 inch) and wind gusts of up to 60 mph.
    — STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 July 2026
  • Please send your reports of hail and/or wind damage, including trees or large limbs downed, by calling the National Weather Service office in Newport at 1-800-889-6889.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 6 July 2026
Definition of hail
Verb
  • Investors poured in nearly $8 billion across 207 deals in the Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Santa Ana metro areas, up 28% from a year earlier, according to PitchBook.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
  • The unlucky nobleman Tullus was bitten by a fierce haemorrhois, causing blood to pour from his eyes, nose, ears, mouth, and other orifices and outlets.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
Definition of pour
Verb
  • The old temples of Tamil Nadu are a treasure-trove of forms incised on stone or magicked from brass, and lavished daily with fruit and flowers, incense and sandalwood, music and light.
    — Chandrahas Choudhury, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 July 2026
  • Bogost lavishes praise on hobbies (fly-fishing), crafts (knitting), and trades (woodworking) as ways to dwell in sensory experience.
    — Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 17 June 2026
Definition of lavish
Noun
  • Many countries, already facing political storms and serious fiscal problems, will struggle to meaningfully cut their welfare systems or change their spending models, said Andrew Kenningham, chief Europe economist at Capital Economics.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 8 July 2026
  • In Taiwan, some farmers rushed to harvest their rice ahead of the storm, which was expected late Friday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 July 2026
Definition of storm
Noun
  • Russia has unleashed waves of missile and drone attacks on Kyiv in recent months, including a barrage of strikes on Monday.
    — Elise Spenner, ABC News, 9 July 2026
  • If Clase’s home run in the second was an uppercut, then Toronto’s offense in the third was a barrage of jabs.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 8 July 2026
Definition of barrage
Verb
  • News of his death – one example of the political violence roiling America in recent years – quickly went global, with graphic videos flooding social media and politicians on both sides of the aisle swiftly condemning the killing.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • Video from the store's security camera captured the collapse, showing a portion of the roof fall near the bakery section as a deluge of water flooded the interior.
    — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 6 July 2026
Definition of flood
Verb
  • Almost daily long-range attacks on Russian oil facilities have created a fuel crisis and heaped political pressure on the Kremlin as its all-out invasion of Ukraine stretches into its fifth year.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 July 2026
  • Almost daily long-range attacks on Russian oil facilities have created a fuel crisis and heaped political pressure on the Kremlin as its all-out invasion of Ukraine stretches into its fifth year.
    — Dasha Litvinova, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of heap

Phrases Containing rain

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raiment
rain
rainbow
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Cite this Entry

“Rain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rain. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on rain

Nglish: Translation of rain for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rain

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