rainfall

noun

ˈrān-ˌfȯl How to pronounce rainfall (audio)
Definition of rainfallnext
as in rain
a steady falling of water from the sky in significant quantity a torrential rainfall washed away most of the little sprouts in our vegetable garden

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rainfall El Niño is a natural climate pattern associated with intense rainfall and storms in the Southeast and warm conditions in the Pacific Northwest that can cause strong, dangerous surf. — Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2026 Forecasters are warning South Florida residents that numerous cities will be drenched in rainfall that may lead to bouts of flash flooding and some thunderstorms Saturday night. — Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026 Last weekend, south Orange County received about an inch to an inch and a half of rainfall, but vegetation didn’t have enough time to absorb the moisture. — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026 While some jumped in the creek as a sort of cold plunge, others warmed up in the hot tub, and watched the creek rushing past faster than the day before thanks to the rainfall. — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rainfall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rainfall
rain
Noun
  • Monday is expected to stay dry, with temperatures around 78 degrees, before a cold front brings the area’s next chance of rain, 20% to 40%, Monday night, the weather service said.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The National Weather Service issued a coastal flood advisory Thursday as rain and king tides are forecast to soak South Florida.
    — Miami Herald Staff Report, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of rain

Browse Nearby Words

rained cats and dogs
rainfall
rainfalls
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rainfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rainfall. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on rainfall

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rainfall

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All