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.
A sudden rainstorm can dissolve crystallised salt overnight -- forcing workers to restart the evaporation cycle.
From Barron's • May 10, 2026
The season’s rainstorm brought a sky as blue as a newborn’s eyes, but water vapor is still rising from the multicolored canopies.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2026
"Even the weird barks that he does," laughs the 16-year-old, who braved a rainstorm to see Speed in action.
From BBC • Jan. 17, 2026
For one thing, there’s money in Dahlonega, the smalltown Atlanta suburb where Anna grew up—and where, during the kind of rainstorm that dissolves evidence, a body is found on the hood of a car.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 8, 2026
Clouds had moved in—the low-hanging ones that ran ahead of a big rainstorm.
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
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.
