13 RAIN Idioms

13 RAIN Idioms

Hello English learners. Welcome to a new lesson. We will look at 13 rain idioms.

1. As right as rain
2. Bucket down
3. Come rain or shine
4. It never rains but it pours
5. Make it rain
6. Rain cats and dogs
7. Rain down
8. Rainmaker
9. Rain napper
10. Rain on one’s parade
11. Rain out/off
12. Spots of rain
13. Take a rain check

As right as rain

Meaning: if you were injured or ill and are now well again, you can say you are as right as rain.

• I saw Margaret yesterday; she’s recovered from the accident. She’s as right as rain.
• Have a bowl of soup. It’ll make you as right as rain.

Bucket down

Meaning: to rain heavily.

• When we got out of the pub, we realized it was bucketing down and we didn’t have our umbrellas.
• Look at those clouds. It is going to bucket down in a minute.

Come rain or shine

Meaning: the idiom is used to say that something will happen regardless of the circumstances or the weather.

• We are running the marathon on Saturday, come rain or shine.
• Come rain or shine, our dad takes us to lunch at weekends.

It never rains but it pours

Meaning: when bad and unfortunate things happen one after another, we say that it never rains but it pours.

• First, I lost my phone and then my car broke down. It never rains but it pours.
• My brother got the flu and then we all got it from him. It never rains but it pours.

Make it rain

Meaning: to throw paper money in the air to show off one’s wealth.

• Gary has a habit of making it rain at parties when he is drunk.

Rain idioms

Rain cats and dogs

Meaning: if it rains cats and dogs, it rains heavily.

• Take your raincoat. It’s raining cats and dogs outside.
• After the hurricane hit, it was raining cats and dogs.

Rain down

Meaning: to fall forcefully in large amounts.

• Hail was raining down heavily on the roof of the house.
• Karen could still vividly remember the bombs raining down on the city during the war.

Rainmaker

Meaning: someone or something that causes rain.

The typhoon developed into a horrible rainmaker.

Rain napper

Meaning: an obsolete word for an umbrella.

• It’s beginning to rain and I forgot my rain napper.
• When it started to rain, Laura took her rain napper out of her bag.

Rain idioms

Rain on one’s parade

Meaning: to do something that spoils someone’s plans.

• I’m really sorry to rain on your parade but I can’t lend you my car tonight.
• Mary didn’t want to rain on her children’s parade so she let them stay up longer than usual.

Rain out/off

Meaning: to cancel or end an event earlier because of rain.

• Unfortunately, the tennis match was rained out.
• The football game was rained off in the second half.

Spots of rain

Meaning: a few drops of rain.

• The wind blew a few spots of rain into the café.
• It’s not really raining, just a few spots of rain.

Take a rain check

Meaning: used to say that you cannot accept an invitation now but you would like to accept it some other time.

• Do you mind if I take a rain check on that drink? I’m having a horrible headache.
• I’d like to take a rain check on your invitation. Could we meet up tomorrow?

Rain idioms

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