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

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
The elements could be an even bigger factor than the UNC defense as rain and a slippery field could make life tough for Craig in the pocket and particularly with respect to extending plays. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Aug. 2026 Then came a symphony of chimes, crystal bowls, wave drums and rain sticks. — Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Verb
In January 2025, SpaceX's Starship exploded on its seventh test flight, raining fiery debris over the Atlantic Ocean near the Turks and Caicos islands. — Brett Tingley, Space.com, 19 Aug. 2026 The game started on a Saturday night but went to Sunday due to rain. — CBS News, 18 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
  • Between April and July, rainfall throughout most of the Danube basin was far less than the 1990–2025 average.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 27 Aug. 2026
  • In recent studies by AccuWeather experts, excessive rainfall can contribute to insect and fungus damage in parts of Pennsylvania, which may lead to duller colors and earlier leaf drop.
    — Gabby Sartori, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of rainfall
Noun
  • Damaging winds and large hail are the main threats with these storms, but some isolated storms could also produce spotty flooding.
    — Kyle Reiman, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
  • No one blinks at a pregnant Sarah constantly running through hails of gunfire — sans prenatal vitamins or a home.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of hail
Verb
  • Over the next several decades, Mexican American families poured in and set down roots.
    — Marissa J. Lang, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Mix yeast, 2 cups flour and salt in large mixing bowl and pour in hot water (not boiling), mixing well.
    — Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 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
  • An inquest opened Wednesday into the sudden death earlier this month of Jason Arday, a Cambridge University professor who faced a storm of plagiarism accusations.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Two small cedar trees were found snapped at the trunk, and that’s the extent of the storm damage, investigators said in a preliminary report.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of storm
Noun
  • The barrage killed a 78-year-old woman in the southern Zaporizhzhia region and another person in the northern Kharkiv region, with at least 14 people reported wounded elsewhere, Ukrainian officials said.
    — Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Iran’s state media, in turn, has waged a sophisticated propaganda campaign, publishing a barrage of content and misinformation meant to sway public opinion of the wider war and diminish its government’s losses.
    — Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of barrage
Verb
  • The twin springs that gave the Revolutionary War battle its name are no more, inundated by the 1940s project that flooded the Santee River basin for hydroelectric power and flood control.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Each room is flooded with amber Southwestern light, framed by chunky wooden beams, and the massive beds are adorned with local textiles.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of flood
Verb
  • Yet still, economists, pundits, and politicians continue to heap endless scorn on the Fed for not seeing into the future back in 2019 and 2020, only to not intervene in the marketplace to ensure prices didn’t rise.
    — John Tamny, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Juicy chicken, squash, red onion, and walnuts cook together on a sheet pan, then get heaped over arugula for a cold-weather salad that satisfies like a Sunday roast.
    — Emily Paster, Midwest Living, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of heap

Phrases Containing rain

Browse Nearby Words

raiment
rain
rainbow
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rain. Accessed 31 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on rain

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rain

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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gumption

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All