downpour
/'daunpɔ:/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A heavy rain: A "downpour" is a sudden and very heavy fall of rain, typically of short duration but with a high intensity.
Usage
- The word "downpour" functions as a countable noun. It describes a specific, intense rain event.
- It is often used with verbs like "start," "stop," "be caught in," or "experience."
- Common collocations include "heavy downpour," "sudden downpour," and "torrential downpour."
Examples
- Noun:
- We were caught in a sudden downpour and got completely soaked.
- After weeks of drought, a welcome downpour finally watered the crops.
- The match was postponed due to a torrential downpour.
Advanced Usage
- "to be a real downpour": Emphasizes the intensity of the rain.
- It wasn't just rain; it was a real downpour!
- "a downpour of [something]": Used metaphorically to describe a large, overwhelming quantity of something non-liquid.
- The company faced a downpour of criticism after the scandal. (This is a figurative extension.)
Variants and Related Words
- Downpour is a compound word formed from "down" + "pour."
- Cloudburst (n): A synonym for a sudden and very heavy downpour.
- Deluge (n): Can mean a severe flood or a heavy downpour; often implies an overwhelming amount.
- Torrential rain (n phrase): Rain that falls rapidly and in great quantity, similar to a downpour.
Synonyms
- Heavy rain
- Cloudburst
- Torrent (often used in the plural: "torrents of rain")
- Deluge
Related Phrases
- (to be) pouring (down): A common verbal phrase describing heavy rain.
- It's pouring down outside.
- Rain cats and dogs: An idiom meaning to rain very heavily.
- Take an umbrella; it's raining cats and dogs.