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

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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

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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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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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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
This year, rain pelted the ground and the side of the building during the ceremony. — Miles J. Herszenhorn, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026 The following day, work on the job is canceled because of rain (water makes iron beams slippery as ice). — Jeff Goodell, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
Verb
The orange and red blobs in the satellite view above show storms with the coldest and tallest cloud tops that are likely raining. — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026 The boss had several moves and patterns that included fireworks that rained down on me. — Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 26 Aug. 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
  • There is a chance DFW won't see storms until the evening, but the 56 consecutive days without rainfall record will be in jeopardy.
    — Michael Autovino, CBS News, 10 Sep. 2026
  • These solutions are more important than ever as Pennsylvania continues to see record rainfall this season.
    — Kaleigh Yost, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of rainfall
Noun
  • The Champagne region was most affected by a culmination of weather factors, including drought, hail, and frost, leading to a 48% drop in Champagne output from the 2025 average, according to the French agriculture ministry.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The recent expansion of the autonomous robotaxi service Waymo to new cities was met with support from ride-hail users but also from a few surprising groups.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of hail
Verb
  • Within minutes, replies starting pouring in, including one from Evan Hubinger, another guy at Anthropic charged with making sure AI doesn’t destroy everyone.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The wine pours were generous, the coursing was adjusted to my personal dining speed, and the conversation was genuinely enjoyable.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of pour
Verb
  • The ceremony can be found on YouTube and includes Gloria Steinem lavishing the character with praise.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Altman had been making note of Kushner’s investment in founders at splashy startups, including Slack, Instacart, and payment giant Stripe—staying loyal and lavishing them with attention even during rocky stretches.
    — Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of lavish
Noun
  • It had been stored beneath an open-sided Florida carport when the storm's violent winds brought the structure crashing down onto it.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Saharan dust, a mass of dry, dusty air, can inhibit the development of tropical systems and storms.
    — Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of storm
Noun
  • So, there’s a barrage of testing that is mandatory by the NFL and the NFLPA, and that has to happen before players can use the field.
    — Tim Graham, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • To top it off, iconic moves like the drill claw and berserker barrage are trapped behind individual cooldown meters.
    — Gabriel Zamora, PC Magazine, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of barrage
Verb
  • Morgan Creek and Cove Creek will be particularly subject to flooding this morning.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) estimates that 300,000 to 500,000 people died, most from the surge flooding coastal islands and tidal flats.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of flood
Verb
  • The Dolly Dollop Referenced in Good Lookin’ Cookin’, the unofficial measurement refers to a heaping spoonful.
    — Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The Burger Barn dresses up its patties with heaping stacks of pastrami, though the classic cheeseburger is also a crowd-pleaser.
    — Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 25 Aug. 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 14 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on rain

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rain

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