pour
Americanverb (used with object)
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pours,
present (3rd person singular)
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poured,
past participle, past
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pouring
present participle
-
to send (a liquid, fluid, or anything in loose particles) flowing or falling, as from one container to another, or into, over, or on something.
to pour a glass of milk; to pour water on a plant.
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to emit or propel, especially continuously or rapidly.
The hunter poured bullets into the moving object.
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to produce or utter in or as in a stream or flood (often followed byout ).
to pour out one's troubles to a friend.
verb (used without object)
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pours,
present (3rd person singular)
-
poured,
past participle, past
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pouring
present participle
-
to issue, move, or proceed in great quantity or number.
Crowds poured from the stadium after the game.
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to flow forth or along; stream.
Floodwaters poured over the embankments.
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to rain heavily (often used impersonally with it as subject).
It was pouring, but fortunately we had umbrellas.
noun
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the act of pouring.
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an abundant or continuous flow or stream.
a pour of insults.
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a heavy fall of rain.
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a wine or other beverage.
a list of the best pours.
verb
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to flow or cause to flow in a stream
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(tr) to issue, emit, etc, in a profuse way
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Also: pour with rain. to rain heavily
it's pouring down outside
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(intr) to move together in large numbers; swarm
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(intr) to serve tea, coffee, etc
shall I pour?
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events, esp unfortunate ones, come together or occur in rapid succession
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informal to be unenthusiastic about or discourage
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to try to calm a quarrel, etc
noun
Usage
The verbs pour and pore are sometimes confused: she poured cream over her strudel; she pored (not poured ) over the manuscript
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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pourabilitynoun
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pourernoun
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interpourverb (used with object)
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repourverb (used with object)
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pourableadjective
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unpourableadjective
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unpouredadjective
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pouringlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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poursimple
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pourssimple
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have pouredperfect
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has pouredperfect
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am pouringprogressive
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are pouringprogressive
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is pouringprogressive
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have been pouringperfect progressive
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has been pouringperfect progressive
Past
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pouredsimple
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had pouredperfect
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was pouringprogressive
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were pouringprogressive
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had been pouringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of pour
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English pouren; origin uncertain
Explanation
To pour is to flow rapidly in a steady stream, or to cause something to flow. You can pour good coffee into a cup and pour bad coffee down the drain. You can pour your heart out, pour a cup of orange juice into or out of a cup, or watch the rain pour down while a poem pours from your lips. A jet of water may pour from a spout. Listen to how the water pours in this poem from Lewis Carroll's book, Alice in Wonderland: “How doth the little crocodile / Improve his shining tail, / And pour the waters of the Nile, / On every golden scale!”
Vocabulary lists containing pour
Commonly Confused Words, List 2
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Commonly Confused Words, List 5
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Commonly Confused Words, List 7
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
I suppose my passion for acting was guided by my sensitivity and determination to pour everything I had into characters to make them come alive.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2026
Mallen’s Barbara is the third corner of this triangle, and when she and Okonedo square off in a motherly showdown, sparks fly and harsh truths pour out.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
"I'd run him baths and just play music and pour jugs of hot water over his head and he loved it."
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
But there’s another matter that I’ve been thinking about: What will the American workforce look like as companies pour billions into AI?
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 27, 2026
When I tried to pour the gravy out of the skillet into a bowl, it wouldn’t pour.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
A company pays for equipment up front but charges the cost against profits gradually, as depreciation, so profits can look strong while cash pours out the door.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026
Jayawardhana defended the decades-old partnership between higher education institutions and Washington, which pours billions of dollars into research universities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
There's a saying in neighbouring Belgium: whenever it pours in Paris, it at least drizzles in Brussels.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
Water has relatively low viscosity and pours easily, while honey and tar are much more viscous and move slowly.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
The man in the grey suit pours the last of the wine.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
Millions of Ukrainians poured into the country, many of whom were given refuge there.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2026
Within eight months, the cart generated more than $100,000 in revenue, though he has poured much of that back into operating costs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 9, 2026
Over the past decade, Egypt has poured billions of dollars into updating its transport infrastructure, including new highways and high-speed rail lines, but has yet to overhaul much of its ageing rail network.
From Barron's ● Nov. 8, 2026
Chatbots like ChatGPT and Claude are fielding more and more of the questions that once poured into search engines.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2026
Then, one rumbling, earthshaking day, it had poured out its heart of boiling, rolling, melting lava, and the round green peak had been blown away.
From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr
He was also the proposition’s largest supporter, pouring $45 million into the campaign, according to state data.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2026
With chip orders pouring in, Nvidia's market valuation has soared to $4.5 trillion -- currently on par with Apple as the world's two most valuable companies.
From Barron's ● Nov. 10, 2026
Investors have been demanding proof that the billions pouring into artificial intelligence are producing something more than great expectations.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026
Cyber-security researchers at multiple firms are pouring over evidence gathered from so-called "honeypots" to provide clues as to who is behind the waves of freezer hacks.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
Water was pouring into the house through the open windows!
From "Wolfie & Fly" by Cary Fagan
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
