Collocation · B1 · Neutral · Weather
heavy rain
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Meaning
A lot of rain falling strongly.
Examples
- Heavy rain is expected across the north tonight.
- We cancelled the match because of heavy rain.
- The road was closed after several hours of heavy rain.
How to use it
The adjective heavy also goes with snow, traffic, and smoker. For wind, we use strong: strong wind, not heavy wind.
Common mistake
Not: There was a strong rain yesterday.
Say: There was heavy rain yesterday. (Rain is heavy, wind is strong.)
Last updated 18 October 2026