sluicing

1 7.3

Falling in a heavy, steady flow like strong rain

adjective
/ˈsluːsɪŋ/

: lluvia torrencial

The sluicing rain beat down on the rooftops all night.

Examples

They arrived at the shelter, soaked from the sluicing downpour outside.
The sluicing rain beat down on the rooftops all night.
Water was sluicing through the broken gutter, creating a small flood.
It's sluicing outside!
The rain was sluicing down the windows.
They arrived at the shelter, soaked from the sluicing downpour outside.
The rain was sluicing down the windows, making it hard to see outside.

Synonyms

to pour

vssluicing

788 1.0

To make liquid flow in a steady stream from a container

adds the sense of a heavy, continuous outflow like from a channel

to gush

vssluicing

27 3.2

To flow out suddenly and forcefully, like blood from a wound

implies a steadier, longer-lasting heavy flow rather than a sudden burst

pouring

vssluicing

11 1.3

A liquid that moves quickly in large amounts, like heavy rain

stresses steady heavy flow rather than sudden bursts

gushing

vssluicing

5 4.1

Flowing out quickly and in large amounts

places more emphasis on continuous heavy movement than on forceful speed

to sluice

vssluicing

2 7.8

To pour out quickly in a strong stream

is the broader name for that heavy, continuous outflow

to sheet

vssluicing

1 8.0

To fall heavily in a wide stream, as rain or snow

focuses on the same continuous flow but not necessarily wide

to sluice down

vssluicing

1 7.6

Flow quickly and strongly down a surface like water after heavy rain

is the same heavy continuous flow but as a general term

to bucket down

vssluicing

1 6.5

To rain very hard

focuses on continuous heavy flow imagery rather than idiomatic intensity

to raining pitchforks

vssluicing

Informal

8.9

To rain very heavily with water falling fast and hard

conveys the same heavy rain idea but in plain continuous-flow terms

Antonyms

drip

85 1.0

A small drop of liquid that falls, often one after another

to trickle

81 3.4

To flow slowly in drops or a thin stream

How Heavy

deluge

13 6.3

sluicing

1 7.3

pouring

11 1.3

rain

∞ 1.0

drizzling

2 1.2

Surface Forms

sluicing positive

Morphology

sluicing = sluice (transparent) = sluice + ing

The meaning is directly derived from 'sluice' + '-ing' indicating continuous pouring/flowing, so learners who know 'sluice' will infer 'sluicing' as 'pouring heavily'.

Etymology

The word sluicing comes from sluice, a water gate or channel that lets water 'pour' out; imagine opening a big gate and water rushing through. So sluicing rain is rain that falls in a heavy, continuous flow, like water pouring from an opened sluice.