torrent of rain
1
3.0
- noun
:
tormenta de lluvia
- Day had given way to night, and torrents of rain were slamming against the glass.
- a torrent of rain from thunderstorms
- Torrents of rain fall
Examples
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Midsummer weather, for instance, rapidly parches the surface of a leaf fluttering in the warm breeze, and with frequent thunderstorms come torrents of rain that easily wash spores out of the canopy.
Academic text (2001) -
This old shaft probably was filled in like the others, but rain and wind could've caused a section of it to open, and oh man, talk about rain! There was a peal of thunder followed immediately by torrents of rain.
Fiction book (2001) -
Behind him, torrents of rain cascade down the steamy windows.
Fiction book (1994) -
A fresh torrent of rain pelted against the windowpane.
Fiction book (1998) -
Torrents of rain sluiced through the gutters.
Fiction book (1993) -
Heavy dark clouds accompany the southerly wind, and it soon becomes a gale, while the clouds discharge torrents of rain.
Academic text (1994) -
It picks a spot and hovers over it, unleashing torrents of rain and crooked bolts of lightning seconds apart, or sometimes in multiples.
Fiction book (1999) -
A fresh torrent of rain pelted against the windowpane.
-
During monsoon season, Mumbai gets pounded by torrents of rain, causing severe flooding.
Synonyms
26
1.0
A short time when a lot of rain falls, often with strong wind
24
2.7
A heavy and sudden fall of rain
11
6.3
A very heavy rain that causes flooding
3
4.4
A very heavy fall of rain that starts suddenly
2
6.3
A sudden very heavy rain that falls for a short time
1
7.9
A sudden large flow of water after heavy rain
1
4.2
A short time of very heavy rain
A heavy sudden rain that soaks people quickly
Heavy rain that falls suddenly for a short time
A sudden strong storm with heavy rain and thunder
A sudden heavy fall of rain that soaks quickly
A sudden large flow of feelings or help from many people
Antonyms
How Heavy
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase's meaning is directly recoverable from its parts: 'torrent' already denotes a sudden, intense downpour and 'rain' specifies the substance, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer 'a very heavy downpour of rain'. The noun+of+noun composition is a transparent, compositional pattern found across languages, so no idiomatic or metaphorical shift blocks comprehension.
Etymology
Torrent of rain may come from the picture of a fast river, a torrent, pouring from the sky as rain. So it means 'a sudden and very heavy downpour'.