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
Charlotte continues to face a 30% chance of rain during the day Friday, and a 70% chance Friday night, the National Weather Service says. Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 24 July 2026 China’s National Meteorological Center expects that parts of southeastern Guangdong and the southern coast of Fujian will experience heavy rain Saturday and Sunday. ABC News, 24 July 2026
Verb
Musk posted, along with a user video of the Starship debris raining down near the Atlantic Ocean. Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 14 July 2026 The weather, which had been clear at the start of the day, had turned to rain and the temperature had plunged to 5 C (41 F). ABC News, 13 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for rain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rain
Noun
  • Bathrooms, complete with rainfall showers, are lined with Bellino Turkish cotton bath towels and Salt and Stone products; beds are made up in Cuddledown linens; and Whirlpool washers and dryers are in every unit.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 July 2026
  • Thursday afternoon’s thunderstorms could pack rainfall rates up to 2 inches per hour — an intensity that can quickly overwhelm drainage systems and flood urban areas.
    Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 23 July 2026
Noun
  • By its modelling, more than a quarter of US data-centre capacity sits where three or more big-hail days hit every year.
    Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • The rounds of showers and storms will bring the threat of damaging winds, hail, a few tornadoes and chances for flash flooding in certain areas.
    Aleem Agha, ABC News, 18 July 2026
Verb
  • The sun pours through its many gaps, creating a constellation of light that illuminates the forest floor below.
    Liam Scott, Washington Post, 24 July 2026
  • Arrabaca is accused of firing a BB gun down the street, pouring flammable liquid in front of the building's employee entrance, setting the liquid on fire and throwing fireworks onto the flames, federal prosecutors said.
    Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 23 July 2026
Verb
  • While many soccer fans and media observers have given Fox a mixed report card compared with ESPN, Pitaro lavished praise on his competitor.
    Dade Hayes, Deadline, 16 July 2026
  • Although much attention was lavished on their July 1986 royal wedding, their married life was complicated by scandal.
    Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 11 July 2026
Noun
  • The storm system that caused historic flooding in West Virginia Tuesday into Wednesday and wreaked havoc from the Ohio Valley to the East Coast will linger across Virginia and the Southeast through the end of the week.
    Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 23 July 2026
  • Onlookers watched the storm surge at the Lake Pontchartrain estuary, with kids splashing in the floodwaters as Bertha approached the Louisiana Coast.
    ABC News, ABC News, 23 July 2026
Noun
  • But the night ended in a barrage of bullets after Hicks broke free from Smith and Harris, who had pinned her to the ground, according to the document.
    Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026
  • Brittin and members of his top team were confronted with a barrage of unhappy questions from employees, who fired shots at plans for a below-inflation 1% pay rise, voiced anxiety about 2,000 layoffs, and lamented the low morale among colleagues.
    Jake Kanter, Deadline, 21 July 2026
Verb
  • Businesses that had never flooded before were suddenly underwater.
    Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • At some point in the mid-1850s, the river Padma suddenly carved a new path through the village of his ancestors in modern-day Bangladesh, flooding their homes and scattering them across the Indian subcontinent.
    Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026
Verb
  • Their sparkling glass cases were full of heaping cream puffs, vivid cupcakes and caramel colored pastries.
    Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026
  • The attacks have heaped pressure on Russia’s economy, which is already grappling with the worst fuel shortages since the fall of the Soviet Union.
    Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 15 July 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rain. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on rain

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