Cool MateCome down cats and dogs vs Downpour vs Pour
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Come down cats and dogs
InformalBeyond 10,000 (less common)
Downpour
Top 5,000 (fairly common)
Pour
Top 1,000 (very common)B1verb
Most common: Pour
| Come down cats and dogs | Downpour | Pour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //kʌm daʊn kæts ənd dɔːɡz//🇺🇸 //kʌm daʊn kæts ənd dɔɡz// | 🇬🇧 //ˈdaʊn.pɔː//🇺🇸 //ˈdaʊn.pɔr// | 🇬🇧 /["/pɔː(r)/","/pɔːz/","/pɔːd/","/ˈpɔːrɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/pɔːr/","/pɔːrz/","/pɔːrd/","/ˈpɔːrɪŋ/"]/ |
| Meaning | To rain heavily. | A lot of rain that falls quickly. | To make a liquid flow from one container to another. |
| Example | It's really starting to come down cats and dogs outside! | The forecast predicts a downpour this afternoon. | I will pour the milk into the bowl. |
| Register | Informal | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Beyond 10,000 (less common) | Top 5,000 (fairly common) | Top 1,000 (very common) |
| CEFR level | - | - | B1 |
| Part of speech | verb | ||
| Collocations | come down cats and dogs, rain cats and dogs, pour cats and dogs | heavy downpour, unexpected downpour, torrential downpour, summer downpour | carefully, quickly, gradually, from, into, on, carefully, quickly, gradually, from, into, on |
| Antonyms | clear up, dry out, stop raining | - | fill, empty |
| Common mistakes | Confusing it with 'cats and dogs' as in animals., Using it in a formal context., Incorrectly saying 'come down' instead of just 'cats and dogs' for rain. | Confusing downpour with drizzle, Using downpour in a non-weather context, Mispronouncing the word | Confusing 'pour' with 'pore' or 'poor'., Using 'pour' as a noun instead of a verb., Saying 'pouring water into the cup' instead of 'pouring the cup with water'. |
| Usage notes | Used in casual conversation to describe very heavy rain. Not typically used in formal writing. | Used in everyday conversations about weather. Not typically used in formal writing. | Used when transferring liquids. Common in cooking, serving drinks, or filling containers. Avoid in formal writing. |
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Frequently asked questions: Come down cats and dogs vs Downpour vs Pour
What's the difference between Come down cats and dogs, Downpour, and Pour?
Come down cats and dogs: To rain heavily. Downpour: A lot of rain that falls quickly. Pour: To make a liquid flow from one container to another.
Which is more common: Come down cats and dogs, Downpour, and Pour?
Pour is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Come down cats and dogs: It's really starting to come down cats and dogs outside! Downpour: The forecast predicts a downpour this afternoon. Pour: I will pour the milk into the bowl.
Can I use Come down cats and dogs, Downpour, and Pour interchangeably?
Not always. Come down cats and dogs, Downpour, and Pour are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.