rainstorm
Americannoun
-
rainstorms
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
See Examples For:
The 1983 movie, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, portrays the fight as gritty and grounded, taking place during a rainstorm where mud flies as fast as fists.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
She recalled leaving Wagoner's office after their musical split and driving home in a rainstorm, until the clouds parted, giving way to sunlight and an idea for another new song.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
One solution is to visit a house you’re thinking of buying in the middle of a rainstorm, when water-related problems can become more obvious, Marecheau said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026
In Phoenixville, Pa., a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Soko Bag, a Korean fried-chicken and sports bar, was midway through showing the England-Norway match when a rainstorm hit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
During one particularly fierce rainstorm that spring, the ceiling grew so fat it burst, and water and plasterboard came crashing down onto the floor.
From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls
A 2024 study published by the American Geophysical Union projected a significant rise in landslide hazards across the Himalayas and Tibet in the coming decades due to increased rainstorms.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
Truckers said they were cooking meals inside their cabs, sleeping where they unhooked their trailers to avoid overnight parking fees and waiting for rainstorms to clean their rigs rather than paying $100 for a wash.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
The findings extend beyond heavy rainstorms and could have implications for underground operations around the world.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 6, 2026
Last year, 80 percent of Bogus Basin’s pile survived torrential rainstorms and stretches of record summer heat.
From Slate ● Apr. 11, 2026
We endured pelting rainstorms that washed away our topsoil.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
