13 RAIN Idioms

13 Rain Idioms in English You Should Know (with Meanings & Examples)

Hello, dear English learners. English has a deep love affair with the weather — especially with rain. And it’s not surprising. Rain is perfect for talking about bad luck and good luck, problems and difficulties, plans and disappointments and even feeling healthy again.

In this lesson, you will learn 13 common and useful rain idioms that native speakers really use. These expressions are excellent for B2 First and C1 Advanced, and for making your English sound more natural and colourful.

So… let’s not wait for the storm. Let’s jump in. ☔

Idioms About Heavy Rain

Rain cats and dogs

Meaning: to rain very heavily.

• Take your raincoat — it’s raining cats and dogs outside.

• It was raining cats and dogs all night, so the match was cancelled.

Bucket down

Meaning: to rain very heavily (very common in British English).

• When we left the pub, it was bucketing down.

• Look at those clouds — it’s going to bucket down any minute.

Rain down

Meaning: to fall in large amounts and with force.

• Hail was raining down on the roof.

• During the storm, branches and leaves rained down on the road.

Idioms About Health, Luck & Situations

As right as rain

Meaning: completely well and healthy again.

• I saw Margaret yesterday — she’s as right as rain now.

• Have a good rest and you’ll be as right as rain tomorrow.

It never rains but it pours

Meaning: bad things happen one after another.

• First I lost my wallet, then my phone broke. It never rains but it pours.

• He got ill, missed his flight, and lost his luggage. It never rains but it pours.

Come rain or shine

Meaning: something will happen no matter what.

• We go for a walk every morning, come rain or shine.

• The marathon will take place, come rain or shine.

Idioms about Plans & Disappointment

Rain on someone’s parade

Meaning: to spoil someone’s plans or good mood.

• I’m sorry to rain on your parade, but I can’t come tonight.

• She didn’t want to rain on his parade, so she kept quiet.

Rain out / rain off

Meaning: to cancel or stop an event because of rain.

• The tennis match was rained out.

• The football game was rained off in the second half.

Take a rain check

Meaning: to refuse an invitation now but accept it later.

• Can I take a rain check on that coffee? I’m exhausted today.

• I’ll have to take a rain check — could we meet tomorrow instead?

Other Useful Rain Expressions

Spots of rain

• Meaning: a few drops of rain.

• It’s not really raining — just a few spots of rain.

• A few spots of rain hit the windows.

Make it rain

Meaning: to throw money in the air to show off wealth.

• He started making it rain at the party after a few drinks.

• The rapper made it rain in the club.

Rainmaker

Meaning: someone or something that causes rain OR (figuratively) brings success or money.

• The storm turned into a real rainmaker.

• In business, he’s known as a rainmaker who brings in big clients.

Rain napper (old-fashioned)

Meaning: an old word for an umbrella (now obsolete).

• It started to rain and he reached for his rain napper.

• She always carried her rain napper in her bag.

Teacher’s tip

Not all expressions with rain are true “idioms”. Some are fixed expressions (like spots of rain), phrasal verbs (like rain out) or old-fashioned words (like rain napper).

But for learners, the important thing is – they all help you understand and use natural, real English.

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