thousands of rain

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "thousands of rain" is not correct and usable in written English.
It seems to be an incorrect construction, as "rain" is an uncountable noun and cannot be preceded by "thousands of." Example: "There were thousands of raindrops falling from the sky."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Nintendo president Reggie Fils-Aime told reporters today that GameStop would have "many tens of thousands" of rain checks good for grabbing a system in January.

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Friday was the 41st day of rain in the Hawaiian Islands and ended one of the wettest Marches on record.

The New York Times

He said it to those who had labeled him an underachiever, and to those who encouraged him, and to the thousands of rain-drenched and wind-whipped fans here who had cheered him on, and even to those who had not.

The New York Times - Sports

VATICAN CITY — With a puff of white smoke from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel and to the cheers of thousands of rain-soaked faithful, a gathering of Catholic cardinals picked a new pope from among their midst on Wednesday — choosing the cardinal from Argentina, the first South American to lead the church.

The New York Times

Francis, who moves on to Uganda on Friday, began his first full day in the Kenyan capital by meeting Muslim and other religious leaders before saying an open-air Mass for tens of thousands of rain-drenched people who sang, danced and ululated as he arrived in an open popemobile.

The Guardian

Tens of thousands of rain-soaked spectators have packed London as the Queen's 1,000-boat Diamond Jubilee pageant weaved its way along the Thames.

BBC

Monday's celebrations follow Sunday's spectacular River Thames pageant which attracted hundreds of thousands of rain-soaked people to watch the flotilla of 1,000 vessels as street parties took place across the country.

BBC

On the 29th, another 0.77 inches of rain fell in Fairbanks—another record for the date and again, locations outside of the town received greater amounts.

Wikipedia

But none of this kept the ever-optimistic local TV station's Storm Watch team, lathered into a frenzy at the possibility of a 10th of an inch of rain, from dutifully standing on the beach in their yellow slickers breathlessly predicting imminent doom while the waves in the background lapped gently on the sand.

Huffington Post

A memorial service will be held to celebrate the life of David Wilkinson, Jr. on Saturday, October 11 at 11 30am in the Tudor City South Park, Tudor City Place and East 41st Street, or in case of rain, the Woodstock Tower lobby, 320 East 42nd Street.

The New York Times

Just 0.14 inches of rain fell on the 30th, but on the 31st, 0.6 inches fell.

Wikipedia

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing large amounts of rain, use adjectives like "heavy", "torrential", or "copious" with the uncountable noun "rain" or the noun phrase "rainfall".

Common error

Avoid using "thousands" directly with the word "rain" as it's an uncountable noun. Instead, use "thousands of raindrops" or rephrase using "heavy rainfall".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "thousands of rain" functions incorrectly as a noun phrase attempting to quantify an uncountable noun. The intended function is to express a large quantity of rainfall, but as Ludwig AI points out, the grammar is flawed.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

30%

Wiki

30%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "thousands of rain" is grammatically incorrect because "rain" is an uncountable noun. As Ludwig AI indicates, it cannot be directly quantified in this way. While the intention is clear – to express a large quantity of rainfall – better alternatives include "heavy rainfall", "torrential rain", or quantifying raindrops instead (e.g. "thousands of raindrops"). Although the phrase appears in various sources, primarily news and general articles, it's essential to use grammatically correct alternatives for clear and accurate communication. For academic or formal contexts, "significant precipitation" or "substantial rainfall" are more appropriate choices.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

heavy rainfall

This uses a noun phrase that correctly describes a large amount of rain.

torrential rain

This focuses on the intensity rather than a specific quantity, implying a heavy downpour.

substantial rainfall

This is a more formal alternative to 'heavy rainfall'.

copious rain

This adjective implies a large quantity of rain.

abundant rain

Similar to 'copious', this emphasizes the plentiful nature of the rain.

considerable rain

Indicates a large or significant amount of rainfall.

significant precipitation

This is a more formal and scientific way of referring to a large amount of rainfall.

extreme rainfall

This highlights that the rainfall was beyond normal levels.

lots of rain

This is a more colloquial expression indicating a large amount of rain.

abnormal rainfall

Suggests a large amount of rain compared to normal levels.

FAQs

Why is "thousands of rain" considered grammatically incorrect?

The term "thousands of rain" is incorrect because "rain" is an uncountable noun. You cannot directly quantify it with "thousands". Instead, use phrases like "heavy rain" or "thousands of "raindrops"".

What are some alternatives to "thousands of rain" that are grammatically correct?

Instead of "thousands of rain", you can use phrases like "heavy rainfall", "torrential rain", "copious rain", or "a large amount of rain".

How can I describe a situation with a lot of rain in a formal context?

In a formal context, you can use phrases such as "significant precipitation", "substantial rainfall", or "considerable rain".

Is it ever correct to use a number with the word 'rain'?

Yes, but only when referring to measurable amounts, like "two inches of "rain"" or "100 millimeters of "rain"". Using cardinal numbers directly with 'rain' without a unit of measure is generally incorrect.