Rainy

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈɹeɪni/

Definitions

1. Characterized by the falling of water droplets from clouds in the atmosphere
2. Characterized by a weather condition where water droplets descend from the clouds to the ground
3. Marked by precipitation in the form of water droplets falling from clouds to the earth

Etymology: Rainy is one of those English words that is older than its simple form suggests. Its ancestor, Old English "reġniġ," was built directly from the noun "regn" (rain) plus a suffix meaning "full of" or "characterised by," so the word has always meant "full of rain" in the most literal sense. The same pattern survives across the Germanic family: German "regnig," Dutch "regenig," and Swedish "regnig" all describe weather in exactly the same way. The Old English form underwent a common change on its way into Middle English as "reyny," with the "g" softening into a "y" sound and the vowels gradually shifting until the modern pronunciation emerged. Yet the core idea never moved: the word still describes a condition, a day or a sky that carries falling water.

Synonyms: wet, drizzly, showery, stormy, cloudy

Antonyms: sunny, clear, dry, bright, fair