Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

downpour

/ˈdaʊn.pɔː(ɹ)/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.83 in modern English

Syllables: down-pour
IPA: /ˈdaʊn.pɔː(ɹ)/

14

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A heavy fall of rain.

verb

To pour down; rain heavily.

Intransitive verb

Example Sentences

"They got caught in a downpour without an umbrella and came back soaked."
"I left Inverness on a Saturday afternoon in July in a steady downpour of rain."
"Bank-notes fluttered down and lay about in all directions, relays of sovereigns rolled away like so much dross, bonds and scrip for thousands and tens of thousands clogged the downpouring stream of jewellery and unset gems."
"It started to downpour, so Billy and I made our way back to our house, with Scotty following—or so I thought."

Etymology

From down- + pour. Compare typologically Czech liják, Polish ulewa, Slovene naliv, Russian ли́вень (lívenʹ) (akin to лить (litʹ)).

Word Breakdown

Prefix: down

Regional Pronunciation

British English: /ˈdaʊn.pɔː(ɹ)/

Usage

Intransitive verb

Inflected Forms

downpours (plural) downpours (present, singular) downpouring (participle, present) downpoured (participle, past) downpoured (past)

Derived Forms

downpouring

Synonyms

cloudburst plash pourdown rainstorm deluge waterspout torrent pelter soaker

Questions

How do you pronounce downpour?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈdaʊn.pɔː(ɹ)/.
What does downpour mean?: A heavy fall of rain.
Where does downpour come from?: From down- + pour. Compare typologically Czech liják, Polish ulewa, Slovene naliv, Russian ли́вень (lívenʹ) (akin to лить (litʹ)).

How to pronounce downpour

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Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈdaʊn.pɔː(ɹ)/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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