1.rain用作动词时作“下雨”解,多用作不及物动词,也可用作及物动词,通常表示雨下得很大,可接drops等名词作宾语。
2.rain表示“下雨”时,主语一般用代词it。当主语不是it时,常表示“…雨点般地落下”。
3.“因雨取消会议、比赛”等常用被动结构,英式英语常用rain off,而美式英语则常用rain out。
4.rain用作动词时表示持续的动作,因此不能跟表示确切的时间点的状语连用。

rain down1(v.+adv.)
大量地流〔落〕下来 (of water, etc.) fall in large amounts
▲rain down
Long after the storm, water still rained down from the roofs where it had collected.暴风雨过去很长一段时间后,积在房顶上的雨水仍一个劲儿地从房顶上流下来。
▲rain down sth
The old woman rained down curses on our heads.那老婆子把我们骂得狗血喷头。

rain down2(v.+prep.)
顺…大量地流下来 (of water, etc.) fall in large amounts along sth
▲rain down sth
Tears rained down her cheeks.她泪流满面。

rain off(v.+adv.)
〈主英〉因下雨而受阻〔取消〕 be prevented from taking place because of rain
▲rain sth  off
◇ 常用于be ～ed结构
The meeting was rained off.大会因雨而取消。
Two cricket matches were rained off this weekend, and would have to be played next week.由于下雨,这周末的两场板球赛没能举行,只能在下周比赛了。

rain on〔upon〕(v.+prep.)
(使)雨点般地落到…上 (cause to) descend quickly or in quantity on sb/sth
▲rain on〔upon〕 sb/sth
Shells rained on the enemy positions.炮弹像雨点般地落在敌军阵地上。
I lay still as the blows continued to rain on my head.拳头如雨点般落在我的头上,我躺在那儿一动也不动。
Misfortunes have rained heavily upon the old man.那老人接连遭遇不幸。
◇ 用于be ～ed结构
Take care not to let these goods be rained on.当心别让这些货物淋到雨。
▲rain sth on〔upon〕 sb/sth
The crowd rained kisses on the popular actor.人们纷纷亲吻这位受欢迎的演员。
The smokestacks rained black soot on the city.烟囱里冒出的黑色煤灰雨点般地从城市上空落下。
Angrily, he rained blows on the door, but no one came.他气愤地用拳头拼命砸门,但是没有人来开门。
They rained bombs and rockets on the enemy gun emplacements.他们以炸弹和火箭袭击了敌人的炮兵阵地。
◇ 用于be ～ed结构
Shells were rained on them, but no one thought of his own danger.炮弹像雨点般地落下来,但没有一个人想到个人安危。

rain out(v.+adv.)
〈主美〉因下雨而受阻〔取消〕 be prevented from taking place because of rain
▲rain sth ⇔out
◇ 常用于be ～ed结构
The Saturday night rally in the stadium was rained out.星期六晚上在体育场举行的集会因下雨而取消了。

用作不及物动词
▲It+～(+A)
It's raining.天正在下着雨。
It will rain in the afternoon.午后将会下雨。
He went out though it was raining hard.尽管雨下得很大,他还是出去了。
It has rained over.雨停了。
It never rains but pours.不雨则已,雨则倾盆。
用作及物动词
▲S+～+n./pron.
It rained large drops.雨点很大。
We'll have to cancel the cricket match, it's raining cats and dogs.雨下得太大了,我们将只得取消板球比赛了。

下面两句话的意思相同：
Today's football match has been rained out.
(AmE)
Today's football match has been rained off.
(BrE)
今天的足球赛因下雨而取消了。

1.五点开始下雨。
［误］  It rained at five o'clock.
［正］  It began to rain at five o'clock.
［析］  rain用作动词时表示持续的动作,不能跟表示确切的时间点的状语连用。
2.如果明天不下雨,我们就去动物园。
［误］  If it isn't rain tomorrow, we'll go to the zoo.
［正］  If it doesn't rain tomorrow, we'll go to the zoo.
［析］  “下雨”应该用动词rain。

［同义词］ n.  drizzle, fall, hail, steam v.  drizzle, drop, fall, spit
［词源］  ＜古英语regn(暴雨)

1.rain的意思是“雨”,通常用作不可数名词, a rain指“一次雨、一阵雨、一场…样的雨”, rains指“几场雨,大阵雨”。
2.the rains指“雨季”, rains可受May,July等修饰。
3.“小雨”是light rain,“大雨”是heavy rain。

rain or shine〔rain〕 or no rain
无论如何 anyway
He is diligent rain or shine he does.他无论干什么都很勤奋。
The children are not allowed in until the school bell rings rain or no rain.无论什么天气,铃响之后才能允许学生们进学校。

Rain was beating on the windows.雨水正敲打着窗子。
They put the oil cloth on the roof to block out rain.他们把油布铺在房顶上,防止雨水渗漏。
The rain kept falling for a few days.雨不停地下了几天。
The rain greatly advanced the spring crops.那场雨使春季作物的成熟期大大提前。
When the rain stopped, the floods began to fall away. 雨停的时候,洪水开始退去。
The sun broke through after days of rain.连日阴雨之后,太阳终于露出来了。
It feels like rain.像是要下雨了。
Following the heavy rain, the storage tanks were filling up again.那场暴雨过后,蓄水池又满了。
I had not bargained for the heavy rain, and got very wet without a coat.我没料到会下这样大的雨,没穿雨衣,浑身都湿透了。
The crops were beaten down by the heavy rain.庄稼被暴雨冲倒了。
The ground became softer after a heavy rain. 大雨之后地面松软了。
Early in April, just before a rain begins, broadcast tomato seeds.四月初的头场雨前,要把西红柿种子播下。
Owing to a heavy rain, all our plans fell through.由于下了一阵大雨,我们的所有计划都泡汤了。
We decided to brave a rain of bullets.我们决定冒着枪林弹雨出去。
His face was bathed in a rain of tears.他泪流满面。
It is probable that rains will fall tomorrow.明天大概会下阵雨。
The rains that year were good, they were coming nicely just as the crops needed them.那一年的雨季真没说的,正当庄稼需要水的时候就下雨了。

1.农民们在盼雨。
［误］  The farmers want the rain.
［正］  The farmers want rain.
今年的雨水很多。
［误］  We've had many rain this year.
［正］  We've had much rain this year.
［析］  rain作“雨水”解时是不可数名词,不能用many修饰,须用much,也不需要定冠词。
2.他被雨淋了。
［误］  He was caught in rain.
［正］  He was caught in the rain.
［析］  “在雨中”英语是in the rain,需要用定冠词the。
3.昨天晚上有一场小雨。
［误］  There was a small rain last night.
［正］  There was a light rain last night.
［析］  “一场小雨”,英文用a light rain,不用small。
4.一场大雨冲走了许多肥沃的土壤。
［误］  A big rain washed away much rich soil.
［正］  A heavy rain washed away much rich soil.
［析］  表示“大雨”通常应该说heavy rain,而不说big rain或great rain。
5.不断的下雨使两岸都淹没了。
［误］  Continuous rain overflowed the banks.
［正］  Continuous rains overflowed the banks.
［析］  rain作“几场雨”或“雨季”解时,习惯用复数。
6.他们冒雨踢足球。
［误］  They played football under the rain.
［正］  They played football in the rain.
［析］  “冒着雨”应该说 in the rain,而不能说 under the rain。