1 B1 neutral
To fall from above in large numbers or amounts, like rain falling from the sky.
"Debris rained down on the street after the explosion."
“
Rockets rained down on the city throughout the night.
— BBC News, 2023
inseparable
rain down
B1 neutral inseparable intransitive
To fall or descend in large quantities from above, like rain.
In plain English
When lots of things come falling down from the sky or from somewhere high up.
What does "rain down" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
To direct a large amount of something (criticism, praise, blows) at someone repeatedly.
"The press rained down criticism on the minister after the scandal broke."
inseparable
3 C1 idiomatic formal
(Religious/literary) To send down abundantly from a higher power or divine source.
"The preacher spoke of how grace rains down on all who seek it."
“
I will rain down bread from heaven for you.
— Exodus 16:4, Bible (NIV)
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
Rain (water) falling downward — extended to any shower of things falling from above.
Actually means
When lots of things come falling down from the sky or from somewhere high up.
Usage tip
Often used figuratively for criticism, blows, missiles, or blessings. The subject is usually the thing falling (e.g. 'blows rained down'), not a person. Common in both British and American English.
Words that pair with "rain down"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
blows criticism debris missiles blessings curses
How to conjugate "rain down"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
rain down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
rains down
he/she/it
Past simple
rained down
yesterday
Past participle
rained down
have + pp
-ing form
raining down
continuous
Hear "rain down" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "rain down" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.