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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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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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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
Parts of eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey southward to eastern Virginia could also see some light to moderate rain showers depending on how far west the storm system travels. — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026 Also, does any of this have anything to do with the fake rain outside Swift’s apartment the other day? — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
Verb
Among the ocean of photons from the event that rained down on our planet was the highest-energy photon ever detected originating from a gamma-ray burst. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 9 Sep. 2026 And just last week, decaying Tropical Storm Iselle left plenty of tropical moisture to rain across Central California. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 1 Sep. 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
  • Rooms come with rainfall showerheads or soaking tubs, mini cheesecakes by the beds each night, and iPads with software for making quick reservations.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026
  • El Niño typically results in an unusually active hurricane season in the eastern Pacific and heavy winter rainfall in Southern California, and this El Niño is predicted to be the strongest in at least a generation.
    — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of rainfall
Noun
  • The simmering tension between Kotler and Tankilevitch help Bezmozgis patiently delay their showdown until, after taking time to instill tension and suspense, two opposing forces collide in a hail of fiery accusations and fisticuffs.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026
  • There is a possibility of hail and strong wind gusts with some of the stronger storms.
    — Nelly Carreño, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of hail
Verb
  • That’s important because GOP super PACs that are pouring money into the Senate battlegrounds receive worse ad rates.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Republicans are pouring unprecedented sums into reliably red states such as Texas, Ohio, Iowa and Alaska as Democratic enthusiasm threatens their narrow congressional majorities.
    — Jill Colvin, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of pour
Verb
  • At the same time, some states are also lavishing tax breaks on data centers that some say are both undeserved and ultimately, bad economics.
    — Kevin Williams, CNBC, 26 Sep. 2026
  • When Russians discovered karaoke, thousands of venues sprang up, from cheap sushi joints to lavish establishments where an orchestra and backup singers accompanied anyone willing to step onto the stage and, for a few minutes, feel like a star.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of lavish
Noun
  • Take Ludwig, 2018, the artist’s first CGI video, which for eight minutes stays fixed on a single CGI blond boy who rolls around in the dark hold of a ship amid a storm.
    — Matthew McLean, Artforum, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Highs are expected in the upper 80s and the rain chances for the week through Sunday hover around the 80% range — especially Wednesday when the weather service puts storm chances at 88%.
    — Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of storm
Noun
  • Stunned at first by his opponent’s aggressiveness and the onslaught of personal attacks, Ted trains himself to withstand the barrages and to respond in kind.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Unlike Purge, which hit hard right out of the gate with a barrage of forceful metal songs, Decay plays more to Godflesh’s experimental side, and its half a dozen tracks are some of the band’s most sophisticated and emotional songs.
    — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of barrage
Verb
  • The policy is making the British glass industry more expensive than the cheap imports from China and Turkey which are flooding the market.
    — Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The announcement came almost a week after parts of Connecticut experienced flash flooding on Sunday, which dropped more than 7 inches of rain over a short period of time on the shoreline and left many roads flooded.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of flood
Verb
  • It’s always heaped with trash, like a municipal dump on a busy thoroughfare.
    — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • But its real-world effects are almost entirely heaped upon the unlucky individuals who briefly become the internet’s main character.
    — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 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 28 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on rain

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rain

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