I.
noun
ADJECTIVE
▪ driving , hard , lashing ( esp. BrE ), pelting , pounding ( esp. AmE )
▪ drenching , heavy , pouring , torrential
▪ steady
▪ drizzling , fine , gentle , light , soft
▪
The fine ~ turned to mist in the early evening.
▪
The forecast is for wind and light ~.
▪ warm
▪ cold , freezing , icy
▪ constant , continuous , incessant , persistent
▪ intermittent , patchy ( BrE )
▪ overnight
▪
Overnight ~ had freshened up the grass.
▪ monsoon , tropical
▪
The monsoon ~s started early this year.
▪ spring , summer , etc.
▪ acid
… OF RAIN
▪ drop
▪ inch , shower , spot ( esp. BrE , informal )
▪
We had three inches of ~ last night.
▪
A few spots of ~ had fallen.
▪
We could do with a spot of ~. ( BrE )
VERB + RAIN
▪ forecast
▪
Rain is forecast for tomorrow.
▪ look like , threaten
▪
It looks like ~ (= it looks as though it is going to rain) .
▪
Black clouds threatened ~.
▪ pour with ( esp. BrE )
▪
It poured with ~ all afternoon.
▪ get caught in
▪
We got caught in the ~ on the way home.
RAIN + VERB
▪ come down , fall , pour down , trickle
▪ beat , drum , lash , pelt , pound ( esp. AmE )
▪
Rain beat against the roof all night.
▪
The ~ pounded down on her.
▪ drip , patter , splash
▪
She listened to the ~ pattering against the window.
▪ drench sb/sth , soak sb/sth
▪
Heavy ~ drenched us.
▪ come , set in , start
▪
The ~ came just as we set off.
▪
The ~ had set in steadily by the time we got home.
▪ cease , let up , stop
▪
The ~ didn't let up all day.
▪ continue
▪
The ~ continued for most of the day.
▪ threaten
▪
With ~ threatening, we headed home as fast as we could.
▪ drive sb
▪
The ~ drove the players off the court.
RAIN + NOUN
▪ cloud
▪ drop (usually raindrop ) , water (usually rainwater )
▪ shower , storm (usually rainstorm )
▪ barrel , gutter (both AmE )
▪ gear ( esp. AmE )
▪
None of us had proper ~ gear.
▪ gauge
PREPOSITION
▪ in the ~
▪
We found her sitting in the pouring ~.
▪ out of the ~
▪
Come in out of the ~.
▪ through the ~
▪
We drove slowly through the driving ~.
PHRASES
▪ come ~ or shine , ~ or shine ( figurative )
▪
We work outside every day, ~ or shine.
II.
verb
ADVERB
▪ hard , heavily
▪ a little , lightly , slightly
▪ non-stop , solidly ( esp. BrE ), steadily
▪
It had ~ed solidly for four days.
▪
It's been ~ing steadily all day.
VERB + RAIN
▪ begin to , start to
▪ be going to
▪
I don't think it's going to ~.
PHRASES
▪ start ~ing , stop ~ing
Rain is used with these nouns as the subject: ↑ arrow , ↑ bomb , ↑ debris