raining cats and dogs
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Raining very hard or strongly.
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Sources & notes
Imported from Wikipedia “English-language idioms” (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29), pending review.
Common questions
What does “raining cats and dogs” mean?
Raining very hard or strongly.
Is “raining cats and dogs” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.