rain pitchforks
Deluge from above
Rain pitchforks means to rain extremely hard.
The image is of pointed farm tools falling from the sky—dangerous, violent, impossible to ignore.
The phrase is old-fashioned and somewhat rare, usually heard from older speakers: It was raining pitchforks when we left the church.
The more common version is rain cats and dogs.
Sudden heavy localized rainfall
- delugeSevere overflow of water
- gullywasherExtremely heavy brief rainstorm
- torrentViolent rushing flow
- floodOverwhelming water overflow
monsoon · inundation · waterspout · rainstorm · squall · cascade · surge · overflow
Violent windstorm or turmoil
- thunderstormViolent weather with lightning
- galeSevere sustained wind
- lightningAtmospheric electrical discharge
- cycloneRotating low-pressure storm system
hurricane · typhoon · tornado · blustery · turbulent · squall · whirlwind · windswept
Idiom for torrential precipitation
- bucket downRain extremely hard
- exaggerationOverstating beyond reality
- hyperboleRhetorical extreme exaggeration
- folk sayingTraditional piece of wisdom
cloudburst
Sudden heavy localized rainfall
- delugeSevere overflow of water
- gullywasherExtremely heavy brief rainstorm
- torrentViolent rushing flow
flood · monsoon · inundation · waterspout · rainstorm · squall · cascade · surge · overflow · drenching
tempest
Violent windstorm or turmoil
- thunderstormViolent weather with lightning
- galeSevere sustained wind
- lightningAtmospheric electrical discharge
cyclone · hurricane · typhoon · tornado · blustery · turbulent · squall · whirlwind · windswept · thunder
cats and dogs
Idiom for torrential precipitation
- bucket downRain extremely hard
- exaggerationOverstating beyond reality
- hyperboleRhetorical extreme exaggeration
rain pitchforksdrizzle
Very light precipitation
sprinkle · mist · light rain · spit · scattered showers
rain pitchforksfair weather
Pleasant, dry climate
clear skies · mild weather · dry spell · sunny · balmy
rain, rains, rained, raining, rainy, rainiest, rainfall, raindrop, rainwater