1 B1 neutral
For hail, rain, or falling objects to descend with great force.
"Chunks of ice hailed down on the car rooftops during the freak storm."
inseparable
hail down
B2 neutral inseparable intransitive
To fall or descend on something or someone in great quantity and with force, like hailstones.
In plain English
To come down hard on something in large amounts, like hail in a storm.
What does "hail down" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
For criticism, blows, abuse, or other aggressive things to come in large quantities against a target.
"Accusations hailed down on the politician after the scandal broke."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
For hailstones to fall down from the sky.
Actually means
To come down hard on something in large amounts, like hail in a storm.
Usage tip
Used both literally (hail or heavy rain) and figuratively (criticism, blows, missiles raining down on something). The figurative sense is the more common one in contemporary English.
Words that pair with "hail down"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
blows criticism abuse bullets stones debris
How to conjugate "hail down"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
hail down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
hails down
he/she/it
Past simple
hailed down
yesterday
Past participle
hailed down
have + pp
-ing form
hailing down
continuous
Hear "hail down" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "hail down" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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