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 Donn of Tiki” documents how occasionally Beach would head to the roof of his bar and spray water down on its windows to create the effect of a rainstorm.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 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
It doesn’t help that a rainstorm of biblical proportions is befalling Chicago.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
My voice trembles, and the words come out of my mouth like a sudden rainstorm.
From "American Street" by Ibi Zoboi
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
That uncertainty is especially important because a future with more powerful rainstorms does not necessarily mean the lakes will receive more usable water.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026
Last year, 80 percent of Bogus Basin’s pile survived torrential rainstorms and stretches of record summer heat.
From Slate ● Apr. 11, 2026
The company also said demand has been hurt by unrest in Mexico as well as rainstorms and flooding in Hawaii.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 30, 2026
Comparing the rainstorms I’d seen in California with what we drove through that August afternoon was like comparing a parakeet’s birdbath with the twelve-billion-gallon St. Francis Reservoir.
From "100 Sideways Miles" by Andrew Smith
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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.
