Rain: Meaning, Pronunciation, and Usage Examples

Meaning 1：rainfall (rain)

rain 🔊

/reɪn/

Water that falls from the sky in drops.

rainfall 🔊

➕

/ˈreɪnfɔːl/

Rain is liquid water in the form of droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then fall from clouds to the ground.

📁 Category：Natural Geography 🔖 Level：Beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Old English 'regn', from Proto-Germanic *regna-; related to Latin 'rigare' (to wet).

💡 Mnemonic

R-A-I-N: Raindrops Always Invigorate Nature.

📖 Example

The gentle rain made the air smell fresh and clean after a hot day. 🔊 The gentle rain made the air smell fresh and clean after a hot day.

🔗 Collocations

heavy rain – a large amount of rain falling rapidly

acid rain – rain made acidic by atmospheric pollution

rain shower – a brief period of rain, often with wind

🔄 Synonyms

precipitation (n.) – Any form of water (rain, snow, sleet, hail) falling from the sky

downpour (n.) – a heavy, sudden fall of rain

drizzle (n.) – light rain falling in very fine drops

🚫 Antonyms

drought (n.) – a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall

sunshine (n.) – direct sunlight, absence of rain

🌱 Derivatives

rainy (adj.) – characterized by or bringing rain

rainbow (n.) – a meteorological phenomenon appearing as a multicolored arc in the sky during or after rain

rainfall (n.) – the total amount of rain that falls in a particular area in a given time

📖 Cultural Story

The word 'rain' has remained essentially unchanged since Old English 'regn', with cognates across Germanic languages. It directly describes the natural phenomenon of precipitation, a concept universally understood.