Idiom idiom
when it rains it pours
Meaning
Everything is going wrong at once
Examples
“First I lost my keys, then my car broke down; when it rains it pours.”
“After months of quiet, three major appliances broke in the same week, proving that when it rains it pours.”
“The company faced a sudden lawsuit just as their main factory closed, illustrating the old saying that when it rains it pours during a crisis.”
Origin
first recorded 18th c.
first recorded 18th c.
From the older proverb 'It never rains but it pours' (used as a title by John Arbuthnot, 1726); the modern form was popularised by Morton Salt's 1914 advertising slogan.
Last updated June 7, 2026