cloudburst
C1Descriptive, technical (meteorology), literary
Definition
Meaning
A sudden, very heavy rainfall over a small area.
Used metaphorically to describe any sudden, intense outburst or deluge of something, such as emotions, tears, or information.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Emphasizes suddenness, intensity, and short duration. Implies an element of surprise and potential for localised disruption or flash flooding.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both varieties use the term identically. No significant spelling, pronunciation, or definition differences.
Connotations
Identical connotations of sudden, violent intensity.
Frequency
Equally uncommon in everyday conversation in both varieties. More likely in weather reports, descriptive writing, or technical contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[A cloudburst] + VERB (occurred, hit, caused)[We/They] + were caught in + [a cloudburst]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A cloudburst of emotion/tears/applause (metaphorical use)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Metaphorically, e.g., 'a cloudburst of customer complaints'.
Academic
Used in geography and meteorology texts to describe a specific weather phenomenon.
Everyday
Used descriptively to explain being suddenly soaked, e.g., 'We got caught in a cloudburst.'
Technical
A specific meteorological event involving a very high intensity of precipitation over a short period and small area.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- N/A. Not standard as a verb. Use 'to pour' or 'to bucket down'.
American English
- N/A. Not standard as a verb. Use 'to pour' or 'to rain buckets'.
adverb
British English
- N/A. Not standard as an adverb.
American English
- N/A. Not standard as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- The cloudburst rain soaked us in seconds.
- We took shelter from the cloudburst deluge.
American English
- Cloudburst conditions caused flash flooding.
- We got cloudburst rain on our hike.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The cloudburst made the street very wet.
- We were having a picnic when a sudden cloudburst forced us to run for cover.
- The speaker's emotional tribute was followed by a cloudburst of applause from the assembled crowd.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a CLOUD that BURSTs open like a water balloon, dumping all its rain at once.
Conceptual Metaphor
INTENSITY IS A SUDDEN RELEASE OF PRESSURE (the cloud 'bursts'); EMOTION/INFORMATION IS WATER (a cloudburst of tears/data).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'ливень' (rain shower) – 'cloudburst' implies greater suddenness and intensity. Avoid literal translations like 'облако-взрыв'.
Common Mistakes
- Using it for any heavy rain (it must be sudden and localized). Incorrectly pluralising as 'cloudsburst'. Using it as a verb ('It cloudbursted').
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following best describes a 'cloudburst'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. A cloudburst refers specifically to the intensity of the rainfall. A thunderstorm involves thunder and lightning, and may or may not have cloudburst-level rain.
No, 'cloudburst' is exclusively a noun. You cannot say 'It cloudbursted yesterday.' Use verbs like 'poured', 'bucketed down', or 'there was a cloudburst'.
Metaphorically, it describes any sudden, overwhelming outpouring, such as 'a cloudburst of tears', 'a cloudburst of protest', or 'a cloudburst of information', focusing on the intensity and suddenness.
Not very common. It's more descriptive or technical. In everyday talk, people are more likely to say 'a sudden downpour', 'it absolutely poured', or 'it bucketed down'.