What does raining mean?
Raining is the present participle of the verb 'rain,' meaning that water is falling from the clouds as precipitation. It is most often used to describe the weather, as in 'it is raining,' and can indicate the amount, duration, or character of the precipitation when paired with an adverb: 'It was raining steadily.' The word also has figurative uses meaning that something is happening in abundance, as when one says that gifts or complaints were 'raining down.' Although simple and familiar, it is useful because it appears in a wide range of everyday descriptions and idiomatic expressions. The literal sense is especially common in forecasts, casual conversation, and accounts of weather, while figurative uses tend to suggest a rapid or plentiful supply of something.
verbTo be falling as rain, especially from the clouds. The word also appears in figurative expressions for something abundant or actively happening.
- To fall from the clouds as rain, especially in the present participle form used with the weather verb 'is.'
- To be happening in great abundance, as in the expression 'raining gifts.'
"It began raining shortly after the picnic had started."
"The streets were shining because it had been raining all night."
"The crowd was still outside, and the confetti was raining from the windows."
For most of history, people relied on a simple rule to tell rain from snow: if it came down from the sky and was not white, it was probably rain.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does raining come from?
The verb ultimately comes from Old English 'rǣnian,' meaning 'to wet with rain,' which was related to Old English 'rǣn,' the word for rain. The English words 'rain,' 'rainy,' 'raindrop,' and related forms share this origin, which in turn belongs to the Germanic family and ultimately to a wider European root associated with moisture or wetness. The modern form 'raining' developed as the present participle of 'rain.'
How raining is actually used
The standard form is 'it is raining' or 'it has been raining.' The expression 'raining cats and dogs' is an informal idiom for very heavy rain. Figurative uses, such as 'offers were raining down,' are established but generally more literary or informal than the literal weather sense.