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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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
And when heavy rain hits, the larger root structures can absorb excess water that would otherwise run off and erode the soil. — ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026 Even in those areas, the chances of rain will remain limited. — Kansas City Star, 4 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
  • Monitor Moisture Levels Lawns should receive 1 inch of water each week throughout the fall from irrigation or rainfall.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Forecasters said Edouard is expected to produce rainfall totals of 3 to 6 inches, with maximum totals up to 9 inches, for parts of the Upper Texas coast inland through east-central Texas.
    — Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of rainfall
Noun
  • In the years since Shakur's murder, what exactly happened in that hail of bullets -- and who pulled the trigger -- was obscured by a lack of physical evidence, feuding cops and the gangland code of silence.
    — Sasha Pezenik, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Chunks of hail fell from the sky as J struggled to tell volunteers where to go next over the noise.
    — Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of hail
Verb
  • Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is pouring billions of dollars into developing a domestic tech ecosystem under his Vision 2030 program, even as some mega-projects are delayed.
    — Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • They have been ordered to pour three thousand cubic yards of concrete and install a million pounds of rebar.
    — Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 4 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
  • The storm is forecast to bring flooding rain, strong winds, storm surge, and possible tornadoes to the region.
    — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Late one August afternoon in a Manhattan editing suite, with thunder and lightning raging outside, a storm was also brewing inside.
    — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of storm
Noun
  • Sánchez faced a barrage of questions on Thursday from lawmakers after his opening address alongside calls for early elections.
    — Suman Naishadham, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The home run barrage continued into the bottom of the second inning when Bregman cranked the first of his three home runs, a two-run shot off another Harrison fastball that gave the Cubs a 6-0 lead.
    — Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of barrage
Verb
  • The combination of storm surge and tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline.
    — MIAMI HERALD HURRICANE BOT, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026
  • And on July 12, 2008, two undocumented immigrants drowned as a wash near Nogales flooded in a heavy thunderstorm.
    — N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 31 Aug. 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 7 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on rain

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rain

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