rainy

rainy

---

Pronunciation

/ˈreɪni/.

Here's a breakdown of the sounds in each syllable:

• First Syllable: /reɪ/

• /r/: Voiced alveolar approximant

• /eɪ/: Diphthong (as in "day" or "say")

• Second Syllable: /ni/

• /n/: Voiced alveolar nasal

• /i/: Close front unrounded vowel (as in "happy" or "see")

---

Word Form Variations

Noun:

• Singular: rain (e.g., "The rain is falling.")

• Uncountable: rain (often used this way when referring to the general phenomenon, e.g., "We're expecting rain.")

• Verb (to rain):

• Present Simple (3rd person singular): rains (e.g., "It rains every day here.")

• Present Participle: raining (e.g., "It is raining now.")

• Past Simple: rained (e.g., "It rained yesterday.")

• Past Participle: rained (e.g., "It has rained all week.")

---

---

Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms

Adjective

• Rainy

1. Definition: Characterized by or experiencing an abundance of rain; weather that is wet due to precipitation.

• Synonyms: showery, wet, damp, drizzly, downpouring, mizzly (British informal)

• Antonyms: sunny, clear, dry, arid, fair

2. Definition: (Figurative) Pertaining to or suggestive of a period of hardship, trouble, or gloom; a time when circumstances are adverse.

• Synonyms: bleak, gloomy, dismal, depressing, troubled, adverse

• Antonyms: bright, cheerful, prosperous, fortunate, auspicious

Related Forms (derived from "rain")

Noun

• Rain

1. Definition: Moisture condensed from the atmosphere that falls visibly in drops; specifically, liquid precipitation.

• Synonyms: precipitation, downfall, shower, drizzle, deluge, cloudburst

• Antonyms: drought, aridity, dryness, sunshine, clear skies

2. Definition: (Figurative) A copious or abundant fall or shower of something, resembling the way rain falls.

• Synonyms: deluge, flood, torrent, outpouring, profusion, abundance

• Antonyms: scarcity, dearth, lack, trickle, sprinkle

Verb

• Rain

1. Definition: To fall as rain from the clouds.

• Synonyms: pour, shower, drizzle, sprinkle, teem (down), bucket down (informal)

• Antonyms: clear up, stop, dry up

2. Definition: (Transitive, often with "down") To send down or distribute in a copious or continuous stream, similar to rain.

• Synonyms: shower, pour, lavish, hail, pelt, bestow

• Antonyms: hold back, withhold, collect, gather

Adverb (Related)

• Rainily (Less common, but grammatically possible to describe something happening in a rainy manner)

1. Definition: In a manner characteristic of rain or a rainy condition.

• Synonyms: wetly, showery-like, damply

• Antonyms: sunnily, dryly, clearly

---

Examples of Use

• Books:

• "It was a rainy day and the children were stuck indoors, boredom setting in with the steady drumming on the roof." (From a children's novel, The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, originally published 1911)

• "The detective often found his best insights came on long, rainy nights, when the city's sounds were muted." (From a mystery novel, The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler, originally published 1939)

• Newspapers:

• "Despite a rather rainy start to the week, forecasters are predicting clearer skies by the weekend." (From a local weather report in The Daily Nation)

• "Farmers are cautiously optimistic after a much-needed rainy season, which promises good harvests." (The Standard)

• Online Publications:

• "Our guide to the best indoor activities for a rainy afternoon will keep your kids entertained." (From an article on Parents.com)

• "Why are some people happier on a rainy day? Science explains the unique appeal of gloomy weather." (From an article on Psychology Today)

• Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:

• Song Title: "Rainy Days and Mondays" (The Carpenters, 1971)

• Movie Title: Rainy Day in New York (Directed by Woody Allen, 2019)

• Video Game Dialogue: "Looks like another rainy day in the Wasteland. Better pack extra ammo." (From the game Fallout 4, dialogue for a non-player character, released November 2015)

• TV Show Dialogue: "I always keep an umbrella handy for a rainy day, you never know when you'll need it." (From the show Friends, character dialogue, season 3, November 1996)

• General Public Discourse:

• "I hope it's not too rainy for the outdoor concert next week." (Heard in conversation)

• "We're saving up for a rainy day, just in case anything unexpected comes up." (Common idiom)

• "This weather makes me feel so rainy and melancholic." (Informal expression of mood)

---

---

10 Quotes Using Rainy

1. "Into each life some rainy days must fall." (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Rainy Day, 1841)

2. "What a lot we lost when we stopped believing that there was an old man who lived in the sky and grew rainy from sheer loneliness and boredom." (Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle, 1963)

3. "I always hated the rainy day, but now I know it's a blessing." (Unknown)

4. "On a rainy day, I always feel a little melancholic, a little reflective." (Unknown)

5. "A rainy day is an equalizer. You don't have to be rich or poor to feel its touch." (Unknown)

6. "Keep some rainy day money; you never know when you'll need it." (Common idiom/proverb)

7. "There's something comforting about a rainy afternoon and a good book." (Unknown)

8. "Even on the most rainy of days, the sun is still shining above the clouds." (Unknown)

9. "A good laugh on a rainy day is like sunshine breaking through." (Unknown)

10. "My favorite kind of day is a rainy one when I can stay inside and be cozy." (Unknown)

---

Etymology

The word "rainy" comes from the older English word "rain" and the ending "-y."

• Rain: This core word has very old Germanic roots. It goes back to a Proto-Germanic word like "regnaz" and even further back to a Proto-Indo-European root that meant something like "to moisten" or "to flow." This shows that the concept of water falling from the sky has been recognized and named for a very, very long time across different languages.

• -y: This is a common English suffix that we add to nouns to turn them into adjectives, meaning "full of" or "characterized by." Think of "cloudy" (full of clouds), "sunny" (full of sun), or "hilly" (full of hills).

So, when you put them together, "rainy" literally means "full of rain" or "characterized by rain."

The first known use of "rainy" in English, with its meaning of "abounding in rain; wet, showery," dates back to the late 14th century. Before that, people would have certainly talked about "rain" but the adjective "rainy" specifically came into use to describe weather conditions or periods dominated by rain.

---

---

Phrases + Idioms Containing Rainy

Here's a list of phrases and idioms using "rainy" and related concepts:

• For a rainy day: To save something, especially money, for future use or unexpected needs.

• A rainy-day fund: Money specifically set aside for emergencies or future difficulties.

• Rainy season: A period of the year when a lot of rain falls in a particular region.

• Rainy-day activities: Things to do indoors when the weather is wet.

• On a rainy afternoon/morning/evening: Referring to a specific time when it is raining.

• A rainy spell: A period of time during which it rains frequently.

• A bit rainy: Describing weather that is slightly wet or drizzly.

• The rainiest day of the year: Referring to the day with the most rainfall in a given year.

• Come rain or shine: Regardless of the weather or circumstances; no matter what happens. (Uses a synonym, "rain," for similar effect)

• To save for a wet day: An alternative, less common, way to say "save for a rainy day."

• As wet as a drowned rat: Extremely wet. (Uses a synonym, "wet," for similar effect)

• To make it rain: (Slang) To spend a lot of money, often by throwing cash into the air. (Uses a synonym, "rain," for similar effect)

---

Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA

---

Source Information

Definition of rainy from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.

---