a thin rain

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a thin rain" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a light or gentle rain, often conveying a sense of delicacy or subtlety in the weather. Example: "As I walked through the park, a thin rain began to fall, creating a soft mist around me."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

The three-part painting is dominated by a line that sighs and falls with faltering resignation, percussive scribbles of colour like memories about to pass, and a thin rain of flicked paint.

The Guardian - Arts

Even supposing that a man were self-possessed enough to plant & tend his plot, it would be worth his life to sit in it with a thin rain of cigarette butts falling around him & an occasional tomato can winging down from the 16th floor.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

The thin rain maketh a sweet sound.

The New Yorker

By Charles Norman The New Yorker, February 23 , 1929P. 19 The thin rain maketh a sweet sound View Article By Phil Klay By John Cassidy By Troy Patterson By Andy Borowitz.

The New Yorker

By Charles Norman The New Yorker, February 23 , 1929P. 19 The thin rain maketh a sweet sound View Article By Rivka Galchen By Jia Tolentino By Zoë Heller By Malcolm Gladwell.

The New Yorker

It is just before nine on a Friday morning in Edinburgh and a thin, faint rain is falling outside the Scottish Poetry Library in Crichton's Close, a short step from the tourist tat of the Royal Mile.

The Guardian - Books

Sweeps of thin rain would evaporate over the alkaline playa of the Black Rock Desert before reaching the ground.… They traveled across an elevation of brush-covered dunes into the dry valley … then over the swell diving the Limbo Range from the San Emido Mountains, black in the far distance with lava and thickets of gin-smelling juniper.

Encyclopedia Britannica

That summer is full of grey, warm nights, the kind where the sun never seems to set even though you never see it; the sky is light and full of clouds, and you walk home under it, in your shirt sleeves, thin rain sometimes pattering on your skin, you dragging your trainers down winding country roads.

Vice

A few years ago I invested in thin rain-resistant, fully lined jackets with hoodies for my girls and they have been used for nearly three years.

Huffington Post

Then, if you go during the Khareef, or monsoon season, all of a sudden you hit a thin film of rain, fog and brilliantly green hills.

The Guardian - Travel

The purpose of this work is to compare the simulation quality for the Manning, Darcy Weisbach, and Poiseuille friction models on the simple case of a constant rain on a thin experimental flume.

Journal of Hydrology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a thin rain" to create a sense of delicate or subtle weather conditions in your writing. This phrase is particularly effective in descriptive passages where you want to evoke a gentle atmosphere.

Common error

Avoid using "a thin rain" when you intend to describe heavy or torrential rainfall. This phrase is specifically suited for light and sparse precipitation.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a thin rain" functions as a noun phrase, where "thin" modifies the noun "rain". It describes a specific type of rainfall characterized by its light intensity. Ludwig AI confirms this usage.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

25%

Wiki

15%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

10%

Formal & Business

10%

Reference

10%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "a thin rain" is a grammatically sound noun phrase used to describe light and sparse rainfall. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage. It is most frequently found in news and media contexts, and serves primarily to evoke a sense of gentleness and subtlety in descriptions. While not an extremely common phrase, it is appropriate for creating a specific atmospheric effect in writing. Alternatives include "a light drizzle" or "a gentle shower", offering similar connotations. When employing this phrase, ensure it aligns with the intended description of light precipitation to avoid misrepresentation of the weather conditions.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a light drizzle

This alternative uses the word 'drizzle' to specify a very light rain.

a gentle shower

This alternative emphasizes the mild and non-torrential nature of the rain.

a fine mist

This alternative focuses on the small size of the water droplets.

a light sprinkle

This emphasizes the sparse distribution of raindrops.

a soft rain

This uses 'soft' to highlight the delicate and gentle quality of the rainfall.

a slight shower

This emphasizes that the rain is of short duration and low intensity.

a meager rainfall

This highlights the small amount of rain.

a wisp of rain

This uses 'wisp' to denote a fleeting and barely perceptible rain.

a patchy drizzle

This indicates that the light rain is not consistent or uniform.

a spot of rain

This highlights the brief and localized nature of the rainfall.

FAQs

How can I describe a light rain?

You can use phrases such as "a light drizzle", "a gentle shower", or /s/a+fine+mist instead of "a thin rain" to depict a soft and delicate rainfall.

What does "a thin rain" imply?

"A thin rain" suggests a light and gentle rainfall, creating a sense of calmness and subtlety in the environment.

Is "a thin rain" the same as a drizzle?

While both describe light rain, "a thin rain" may imply an even lighter and more sparse rainfall compared to /s/a+light+drizzle. Drizzle typically consists of very fine water droplets, but "a thin rain" could refer to a more scattered occurrence of such droplets.

When is it appropriate to use the term "a thin rain" in writing?

Use "a thin rain" when you want to evoke a sense of subtlety and gentleness in the weather. It's appropriate for descriptive writing where creating a specific atmosphere is key.