Have you read our post on rain-related vocabulary in “English For a Rainy Day”? It seems we can’t get enough of this rainy theme! That’s why we’re excited to share even more with you—a post featuring idiomatic expressions related to rain, along with insightful sayings inspired by this delightful weather phenomenon.

Idiom	Meaning	Example
To rain on someone’s parade	to spoil someone’s plans	I didn’t mean to rain on your parade, but we might need to postpone the picnic because of the storm.
To be right as rain	to feel healthy or in good condition	After a good night’s sleep, I woke up feeling right as rain and ready to tackle the day.
Come rain or shine	whatever happens	We’ll be having our outdoor wedding this Saturday, come rain or shine!
To take a rain check	to postpone something	I’d love to join you for dinner, but I have to work late tonight—can I take a rain check?
To save for a rainy day	to save money for future emergencies	She puts aside a portion of her paycheck each month, believing in saving for a rainy day.
To be raining cats and dogs	To be raining very heavily	I forgot my umbrella, and now it’s raining cats and dogs outside!
To chase rainbows	to pursue unrealistic goals	He spent years trying to make his dreams a reality, but some people told him he was just chasing rainbows.
To come in out of the rain	to stop being naive/foolish; wake up to reality	I was excited to book a vacation until my nearly depleted bank account forced me to come in out of the rain.
To rain down on someone	to fall to the ground from the sky like rain	Confetti and streamers rained down on the crowd of onlookers.
To be soaked to the skin	to be completely drenched from rain	I forgot my umbrella and got caught in the downpour, leaving me soaked to the skin.
To be waiting for a raindrop in the drought	to be hoping for something that’s unlikely to happen	For many people, finding a job these days is like waiting for a raindrop in the drought.
To come down in buckets	to rain heavily	The rain came down in buckets.
Cloud on the horizon	a problem/difficulty that is likely to happen in the future	While everything seemed perfect in their relationship, there was still a cloud on the horizon that they couldn’t ignore.
To steal someone’s thunder	To take attention/praise away from someone	I was excited to announce my promotion at the meeting, but my colleague stole my thunder by sharing the news first.
A face like thunder	to look very angry	When she heard the news about the project delay, she walked into the room with a face like thunder.
Drenched to the bone	completely soaked with rain; to be soaked to the skin	After getting caught in that unexpected downpour, I arrived home drenched to the bone.
To storm out	to leave a place angrily/abruptly	After the argument, she couldn’t take it anymore and decided to storm out of the meeting.
Calm before the storm	a quiet period before chaos/trouble	I like to get everything done before the guests arrive and relax for a moment in the calm before the storm.
A storm is brewing	trouble is coming	He looks angry. A storm is brewing.
A storm in a teacup (British English) / a tempest in a teapot (American English)	a lot of unnecessary fuss over something trivial	1) The office drama over the new policy turned out to be a storm in a teacup, with everyone forgetting about it by the end of the week. 2) The debate over the color of the new uniforms was really just a tempest in a teapot, as everyone quickly moved on to more important issues.

Practice 1

Click the link here and complete the text with the right words.

Proverbs Related to Rain

1. It never rains but it pours (British English) / when it rains, it pours (American English) – when one bad thing happens to you, other bad things happen soon after: After losing my job, my car broke down and my dog got sick. It really felt like when it rains, it pours.
2. April showers bring May flowers – difficult times will eventually lead to better days: After facing some challenges at work, I know that hard times are just a part of growth—April showers bring May flowers.
3. Into each life some rain must fall – everyone will experience hardship at some point: Everyone faces challenges at some point; after all, into each life some rain must fall.
4. Lightning never strikes twice – something bad or unusual is unlikely to happen again in the same place: After her first failed attempt at the exam, she felt more confident this time, believing that lightning never strikes twice.
5. After the rain, the sun shines brighter – there will be better times after difficulties: She faced many obstacles during her recovery, but she knows that after the rain, the sun shines brighter.
6. You can’t have a rainbow without the rain – good things come after struggles: Though she felt discouraged during tough times, she reminded herself that you can’t have a rainbow without the rain.
7. A little rain each day will fill the rivers to overflowing – small consistent efforts lead to big results: She believes that consistent effort in her studies will pay off, as a little rain each day will fill the rivers to overflowing.

Practice 2

Click the link here and choose the right words to complete the sentences.

🌂 Are there any nice proverbs about rain in your native language? Please share them in the comments section below. Let’s learn the world’s wisdom together!