Japanese word

豪雨

Pronunciation

Romajigōu

Meaning

  • nountorrential rain

Example

昨夜の豪雨で川が増水しました。saku ya no gō u de kawa ga zō sui shi ma shi ta

The river rose after the torrential rain last night.

Illustration for 豪雨 (torrential rain)

More examples

市は豪雨に備えて、避難所を開設しました。shi wa gō u ni sona e te hi nan sho o kai setsu shi ma shi ta

The city opened shelters in preparation for the torrential rain.

Core concept

Refers to an intense mass of falling rain whose strength makes it more than ordinary wet weather.

Common phrases

  • 豪雨に備えるgō u ni sona e ru

    prepare for torrential rain

  • 豪雨に見舞われるgō u ni mi ma wa re ru

    be hit by torrential rain

  • 豪雨の被害gō u no hi gai

    damage from torrential rain

  • 豪雨による浸水gō u ni yo ru shin sui

    flooding caused by torrential rain

Similar words

大雨ōame: Rain that falls in a large amount and may affect daily activities or cause flooding.
土砂降りdoshaburi: Rain that falls very heavily, often making outdoor movement difficult.
暴雨bōu: Extremely heavy rain that may cause flooding, landslides, or other damage.

Definition in Japanese

強い勢いで大量に降り、河川の増水などを招く雨。tsuyo i ikio i de tai ryō ni fu ri ka sen no zō sui na do o mane ku ame

Word origin

豪雨 (gōu) is a Sino-Japanese compound made from 豪 (gō, "great" or "powerful") and 雨 (u, "rain"), so its form conveys the idea of powerful rain.

Usage tips

  • The word 豪雨 (gōu) commonly occurs in weather coverage with reports of swollen rivers and flooded areas, linking the term to visible consequences.

Other meanings

  • heavy rainnoun
  • downpournoun

Opposites

  • 干ばつkanbatsudroughtnoun

Word lists with this word