ɪts ˈreɪnɪŋ kæts ənd dɒɡz
Nature & Weather
informal
beginner
- Literally:
- Cats and dogs are falling from the sky
What does "it's raining cats and dogs" mean?
- It's raining very heavily
- There is an extremely heavy downpour
Examples
- We can't go out—it's raining cats and dogs.
- The picnic was cancelled because it was raining cats and dogs.
- Bring an umbrella; it's raining cats and dogs out there.
Origin
Origins debated. Possibly from 17th-century England when heavy rain would wash dead animals through streets, or from thatched roofs where animals sheltered and fell during storms.
How to use it
Classic English idiom for heavy rain. Considered somewhat old-fashioned but still widely understood.
Similar expressions
pouring
raining heavily
coming down in buckets
Opposites
drizzling
sprinkling
dry
Related idioms
- out of the blue
Unexpectedly; without warning
- beat around the bush
To avoid talking about the main point of a conversation
- every cloud has a silver lining
There is something positive in every negative situation
- go with the flow
To accept things as they are and adapt accordingly
- once in a blue moon
Very rarely; almost never
- tip of the iceberg
A small visible part of a much larger hidden problem
Use it in a practice answer
Try "it's raining cats and dogs" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.