rainstorm
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of rainstorm
Explanation
When clouds roll in and drops of water start to pour from the sky, it's a rainstorm. If the weather report predicts a rainstorm, you'd better grab your umbrella! You could also call a rainstorm a downpour or a cloudburst — it's a weather event involving heavier rain than a rain shower or drizzle. Certain unstable air conditions sometimes cause a rainstorm to turn into a thunderstorm. A farmer in the midst of a dry, hot summer is likely hoping for a rainstorm, but if you're excited about an outdoor family reunion next weekend, a rainstorm in the forecast will be very disappointing.
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.
Rainstorm Daniel, Greece's most intense since records began in 1930, swept through Thessaly in central Greece for three days at the end of the hottest summer ever recorded in the country.
From Reuters • Sep. 13, 2023
There is particular concern that Henri comes shortly after areas of the Northeast were already drenched by Tropical Rainstorm Fred.
From Slate • Aug. 21, 2021
Follow Pants on his blog, where he unearths gems like "Flying Bird," by Seattle steel-drum band Tropical Rainstorm, from the '70s, also above.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 12, 2011
Rainstorm lacked one thing, a fine turn of speed to finish up with; this was where Bandmaster came in.
From The Rider in Khaki A Novel by Gould, Nat
Southerly Buster had run such a race that it was considered Rainstorm, who was the better horse, had a splendid chance of beating Bandmaster.
From The Rider in Khaki A Novel by Gould, Nat
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
