rain
noun
water that is condensed from the aqueous vapor in the atmosphere and falls to earth in drops more than 0.02 inch (0.5 millimeters) in diameter.
had been raining
-
past perfect progressiveof rain.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
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.
It had been raining and the ground was muddy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 21, 2025
She says that it had been raining heavily until July 30, when the downpour eased.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2023
It had been raining all morning at Imola, and although the downpour had eased at the start of the session, it started falling harder again about halfway through.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 22, 2022
It had been raining, and like an East Village Mary Poppins, she pounced into a puddle.
From New York Times ● Dec. 7, 2016
It had been raining, and that would help a little.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
