1 general:: it’s raining drops of water are falling from the sky: • It’s raining – you’d better take an umbrella. it’s pouring (down) British English , it’s pouring (rain) American English it is raining very heavily: • We stayed at home because it was pouring down all day. it’s chucking it down British English informal it is raining very heavily: • Outside it was chucking it down and the streets were deserted. it’s drizzling very gentle rain is falling: • It’s only drizzling – let’s go for a walk anyway. it’s hailing frozen rain in the form of small balls of ice are falling: • It had been hailing and the roads were still slippery.
Longman-Thesaurus