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:
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
It doesn’t help that a rainstorm of biblical proportions is befalling Chicago.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
Its unlikely that the weekend’s rainstorm is a direct product of the El Niño cycle, which forecasters predict will emerge sometime in May through July, said Schoenfeld.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2026
The rainstorm in the enclosure had been strange enough, but another shower in August?
From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer
The findings extend beyond heavy rainstorms and could have implications for underground operations around the world.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 6, 2026
Earnings during the most recent quarter were also impacted by cartel violence in Mexico and historic rainstorms in Hawaii, with the two markets together representing around 30% of the company’s capacity, it said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 20, 2026
Last year, 80 percent of Bogus Basin’s pile survived torrential rainstorms and stretches of record summer heat.
From Slate ● Apr. 11, 2026
Bolding’s joyful daisies decorated the Sidecca tote bag given to customers at November’s reopening, just before December’s intense rainstorms.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 3, 2026
In San Antonio, rainstorms were rare, and if one hit at night, you woke up with water dripping on your face.
From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez
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.
