Used to describe very heavy rain falling continuously.
When it rains very, very hard without stopping.
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
To rain very heavily and continuously.
"We had planned a picnic, but it poured down all afternoon so we stayed inside."
It was pouring down with rain and I was soaked to the skin.
— J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997)
For any liquid to flow downward in a large, continuous stream.
"Tears poured down her cheeks as she read the letter."
Liquid flowing forcefully downward — the 'down' reinforces the direction and force of the rainfall.
When it rains very, very hard without stopping.
Almost always used impersonally with 'it' as the subject (e.g., 'it's pouring down'). Common in British English; Americans more often say 'it's pouring' without 'down'. Rarely used transitively.
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
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