English Reference
Noun

downpour

n.
B2 Upper Intermediate US /ˈdaʊnpɔɹ/ UK /dˈaʊnpɔː/ down·pour UK spelling downpours

n.a very heavy and sudden rain that lasts for a short time. It is much stronger than a light shower.

n.a sudden and heavy fall of rain, typically lasting for a short duration.


SIMPLE

The heavy downpour flooded the streets within minutes.

CONTEXTUAL

We had to cancel the outdoor wedding because of the sudden downpour that started just as the ceremony began.

COMPLEX

The sudden downpour provided a much-needed relief to the parched fields, though the intensity of the rain caused several small streams to overflow their banks.

Fernandes, Rashford and Cunha tried to add a fifth, with the Old Trafford roof struggling to cope with a downpour as Ipswich failed to deal with the hosts’ attack.

BreakingNews.ie· 30 Aug 2026

Downpours and thunderstorms will continue to bring the risk of flooding to parts of the UK on Wednesday.

BBC News· 25 Aug 2026

From down- + pour. Compare typologically Czech liják, Polish ulewa, Slovene naliv, Russian ли́вень (lívenʹ) (akin to лить (litʹ)).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated