Phrase guide

when it rains, it pours

proverb · 1 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

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

proverb

Meaning 1

Unfortunate events occur in streaks or clusters, often in short periods of time.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

7 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 禍不單行 /祸不单行 (huòbùdānxíng) — bad events come in clusters
  • Hindi: कंगाली में आटा गीला (kaṅgālī mẽ āṭā gīlā) — bad events come in clusters
  • Hungarian: csőstül jön a baj — bad events come in clusters
  • Hungarian: a baj nem jár egyedül — bad events come in clusters
  • Indonesian: ada nasi di balik kerak — bad events come in clusters
  • Polish: nieszczęścia chodzą parami — bad events come in clusters
  • Spanish: a perro flaco todo son pulgas — bad events come in clusters