Phrase guide

rain shower

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A short, mild period of rainfall.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: climatology, meteorology, natural-sciences, weather

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A luxurious shower unit that provides a wide cascade of water similar to a rainstorm.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The hotel suites include bidets and rain showers.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a brief period of precipitation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the game was interrupted by a brief shower

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: shower

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: rain, rainfall

Narrower terms: scattering, sprinkle, sprinkling

History

Etymology

From Middle English, from Old English reġnscūr, from Proto-Germanic *regnaskūrō. Equivalent to rain + shower. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Rienskuur and Icelandic regnskúr.

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Dutch: regenbui — short period of rain
  • French: pluie — short period of rain
  • French: averse — short period of rain
  • Japanese: 俄雨 (niwakaame) — short period of rain
  • Latin: imber — short period of rain
  • Norwegian Bokmål: regnbyge — short period of rain
  • Norwegian Bokmål: regnskur — short period of rain
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: regnskur — short period of rain
  • Scanian: reğnbyra — short period of rain
  • Spanish: chubasco — short period of rain
  • Walloon: walêye — short period of rain
  • Walloon: averdinne — short period of rain