Search
Select the dictionary language
to rain cats and dogs
01
to rain really hard
Idiom
InformalWhat is the origin of the idiom "rain cats and dogs" and when to use it?
The origin of the idiom "rain cats and dogs" may have derived from the Old English word "catadupe," meaning a waterfall or cataract, which later evolved into "cat-and-dog" rain. This idiomatic expression is used to describe heavy or torrential rainfall. It implies that the rain is falling with great intensity, often accompanied by a loud or forceful sound.
Examples
It's going to rain cats and dogs.
We were planning a picnic, but it started raining cats and dogs, so we had to postpone it.
