adjective
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characterized by a large rainfall
a rainy climate
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wet or showery; bearing rain
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of rainy
before 1000; Middle English reyny, Old English rēnig. See rain, -y 1
Explanation
Rainy things are affected by rain in some way, like rainy weather or a rainy afternoon. You can describe certain places as rainy, like Mt. Waialeale on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, or Mawsynram in India, both of which are often cited as being the most rainy place on earth. The phrase "a rainy day" uses rainy figuratively, to represent possible future bad luck or hard times: "You should always save some of your salary in case of a rainy day."
Vocabulary lists containing rainy
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.
Rainy seasons in Somaliland have been late and meagre for at least five years, leading to frequent droughts, according to the Somaliland Ministry of Agriculture.
From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026
The urban push-pull of “Paris Street, Rainy Day” becomes the recreational play of looking at art.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2025
M. Scott Momaday, in his essay “The Way to Rainy Mountain,” describes his Kiowa grandmother, who “bore an image of deicide.”
From Salon • Sep. 1, 2024
Rainy weather is affecting the work of drones, reconnaissance equipment and aviation, the soldiers said.
From BBC • Oct. 21, 2023
Rainy days, I generally sat in a dry place and read a book, often just an axe length away from a ping-pong table.
From "Nine Stories" by J. D. Salinger
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.
