as in rain
a steady falling of water from the sky in significant quantity
the downpour was so heavy that we were soaked by the time we got to the car
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Recent Examples of downpour
That section of the river rose rapidly on New Year’s Day when a huge Pacific storm produced torrential downpours across San Diego County, causing widespread flooding.
—
Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026
That storm could bring isolated thunderstorms with brief heavy downpours and hail, as well as snow levels down to 5,000 feet, according to the weather service.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026
Light rain began in Southern California Wednesday morning, with heavier downpours expected overnight.
—Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 31 Dec. 2025
Meteorologists are monitoring at least two new storms expected to soak the region in early January, drawing fresh concerns after dayslong downpours caused flooding and mudslides in recent weeks.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downpour
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downpour
rain
Noun
-
The rain, or the rats, had made holes in all the flour sacks.—
-
Locations farther south and east might see mostly rain.—
Cite this Entry
“Downpour.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downpour. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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