# bucket down

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/bucket-down
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To rain heavily.

## Examples

- It is bucketing down outside right now.
- We had to cancel our picnic because it started bucketing down in the afternoon.
- Although the forecast promised clear skies, it began bucketing down just as the outdoor wedding ceremony commenced.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.