cats and dogs

Heavy rainfall metaphor

Cats and dogs appears almost exclusively in the expression raining cats and dogs, meaning raining very heavily.

The phrase dates to at least the 18th century, though its origin is uncertain.

Outside this idiom, cats and dogs simply refers to the two most common household pets, often mentioned together as a pair: The apartment complex doesn't allow cats and dogs.

downpour

pouring

Flowing in volume

delugeSevere overflow of water
torrentialFlowing in violent streams
cloudburstSudden heavy localized rainfall

drenching · soaking · pelting · bucketing · sheeting · lashing · driving rain · heavy rain · raindrops · puddles

idiom

expression

Conveyed thought or feeling

sayingShort, wise expression
phraseWords forming partial meaning
figurativeRepresenting through imagery

colorful · hyperbole · exaggeration · vivid · imagery · British English · colloquial · raining buckets · coming down · gully-washer

storm

thunderstorm

Violent weather with lightning

tempestViolent windstorm or turmoil
squallBrief, violent windstorm
galeSevere sustained wind

monsoon · rainstorm · lightning · thunder · windstorm · howling · blustery · stormy · fierce · relentless

cats and dogs

pouring

expression

thunderstorm

cats and dogs

Opposites

Categories

Family