Downpouring

/ˈdaʊnˌpɔːrɪŋ/ verb

Definition

Falling or flowing downward in large quantities, like rain or water pouring down (present participle form).

Etymology

From 'down' plus 'pour' (from Old French 'porer', to push or thrust). The compound 'downpour' as a noun for heavy rain dates to the 18th century; the verb form follows naturally.

Kelly Says

A 'downpour' is one of those wonderfully expressive English words that sounds like what it means—the repetition of the 'ow' sounds makes you almost feel the water falling! It's called onomatopoeia.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.