# rain

/ˈɹeɪn/ (US) · /ɹˈeɪn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/rain
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. water from the sky

noun · CEFR A1

water that falls from clouds in small drops.

For teachers: condensed atmospheric water vapour falling to the surface of the earth in drops. Usually uncountable.

- The heavy rain soaked through my jacket before I could find my umbrella.
- The region had suffered from a lack of rain for months, leaving the soil parched and the local reservoirs dangerously low.

### 2. a large amount of falling objects

noun · CEFR B2

a large number of things falling through the air at the same time.

For teachers: a large quantity of objects falling or descending simultaneously, often used figuratively to describe intensity.

- A rain of confetti fell on the players as they celebrated their victory.
- The archers released their arrows, creating a deadly rain of steel that forced the advancing infantry to seek immediate cover.

### 3. weather

verb · CEFR A1

when water falls from the sky.

For teachers: to have water fall from the clouds as precipitation. Used as an impersonal verb with 'it'.

- It started to rain just as we arrived at the park for our picnic.
- Although the forecast predicted clear skies, it began to rain heavily, forcing the organisers to move the ceremony indoors.

Usage: Always used with the dummy subject 'it' when describing the weather.

### 4. to give or fall in large amounts

verb · CEFR B2

to fall like rain, or to give a lot of something to someone.

For teachers: to fall or be distributed in large quantities; often used with 'down' or 'on'.

- The crowd rained blows on the door until it finally broke open.
- The critics rained praise on the young director after the premiere, calling her debut a masterpiece of modern cinema.

## Examples

- The rain is falling heavily today.
- We had to cancel our picnic because the heavy rain made the grass too muddy to sit on.
- The steady rhythm of the rain against the window provided a soothing backdrop to the quiet afternoon of reading.

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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.