Meanings
proverb
alternative it never rains but that it pours · alternative when it rains, it pours
- Unfortunate events occur in quantity.
Synonyms: misfortunes never come singly
Synonyms & antonyms
proverbUnfortunate events occur in quantity.
Origin
Attested as early as the early 18th century. The modern form of the expression first appeared in print as early as 1772. For quotations using this term, see Citations:it never rains but it pours.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan les desgràcies mai no venen soles
- les desgràcies mai no venen solesunfortunate events occur in quantity
Chinese Mandarin 屋漏偏逢連夜雨 /屋漏偏逢连夜雨, 禍不單行 /祸不单行
- 屋漏偏逢連夜雨 /屋漏偏逢连夜雨 (wū lòu piān féng liányè yǔ)unfortunate events occur in quantity
- 禍不單行 /祸不单行 (huòbùdānxíng)unfortunate events occur in quantity
Czech čert vždy kálí na velkou hromadu, neštěstí nechodí nikdy samo
- čert vždy kálí na velkou hromaduunfortunate events occur in quantity
- neštěstí nechodí nikdy samounfortunate events occur in quantity
- když se to sere, tak se to sereunfortunate events occur in quantity
Danish en ulykke kommer sjældent alene
- en ulykke kommer sjældent aleneunfortunate events occur in quantity
Dutch een ongeluk komt zelden alleen, een ongeluk komt nooit alleen
- een ongeluk komt zelden alleenunfortunate events occur in quantity
- een ongeluk komt nooit alleenunfortunate events occur in quantity
Esperanto malfeliĉo malofte venas sole
- malfeliĉo malofte venas soleunfortunate events occur in quantity
Finnish ei vahinko yksinään tule, kaikki on vastaan, vain saha puoltaa
- ei vahinko yksinään tuleunfortunate events occur in quantity
- kaikki on vastaan, vain saha puoltaaunfortunate events occur in quantity
French un malheur ne vient jamais seul, un malheur n'arrive jamais seul
- un malheur ne vient jamais seulunfortunate events occur in quantity
- un malheur n'arrive jamais seulunfortunate events occur in quantity
German ein Unglück kommt selten allein
- ein Unglück kommt selten alleinunfortunate events occur in quantity
Hungarian a baj nem jár egyedül, csőstül jön a baj
- a baj nem jár egyedülunfortunate events occur in quantity
- csőstül jön a bajunfortunate events occur in quantity
Icelandic sjaldan er ein báran stök, það er ýmist of eða van
- sjaldan er ein báran stökunfortunate events occur in quantity
- það er ýmist of eða vanunfortunate events occur in quantity
Italian i guai non vengono mai da soli, piove sul bagnato
- i guai non vengono mai da soliunfortunate events occur in quantity
- piove sul bagnatounfortunate events occur in quantity
- al peggio non c'è mai fineunfortunate events occur in quantity
Latin aliud ex aliō malum, nūlla calamitās sōla
- aliud ex aliō malumunfortunate events occur in quantity
- nūlla calamitās sōlaunfortunate events occur in quantity
- Fortūna obesse nūllī contenta est semelunfortunate events occur in quantity
- aliō relinquente flūctū alius excēpitunfortunate events occur in quantity
- dolor dolōrem trūdit et metus metumunfortunate events occur in quantity
Lithuanian bėda viena nevaikšto
- bėda viena nevaikštounfortunate events occur in quantity
Norwegian Bokmål en ulykke kommer sjelden alene
- en ulykke kommer sjelden aleneunfortunate events occur in quantity
Polish nieszczęścia chodzą parami
- nieszczęścia chodzą paramiunfortunate events occur in quantity
Portuguese um mal nunca vem só, uma desgraça nunca vem sozinha
- um mal nunca vem sóunfortunate events occur in quantity
- uma desgraça nunca vem sozinhaunfortunate events occur in quantity
- uma desgraça nunca vem sóunfortunate events occur in quantity
Romanian o nenorocire nu vine niciodată singură
- o nenorocire nu vine niciodată singurăunfortunate events occur in quantity
Scottish Gaelic nuair a thig air duine, thig air uile
- nuair a thig air duine, thig air uileunfortunate events occur in quantity
Slovak nešťastie nechodí samo
- nešťastie nechodí samounfortunate events occur in quantity
Spanish las desgracias nunca vienen solas, cuando llueve, diluvia
- las desgracias nunca vienen solasunfortunate events occur in quantity
- cuando llueve, diluviaunfortunate events occur in quantity
- llueve sobre mojadounfortunate events occur in quantity
- si no quieres caldo, taza y mediaunfortunate events occur in quantity
- a perro flaco, todo son pulgasunfortunate events occur in quantity
- montar un circo y crecerle los enanosunfortunate events occur in quantity
- ¿no querías caldo? ¡pues toma dos tazas!unfortunate events occur in quantity
Swahili hakuna msiba usiokuwa na mwenziwe
- hakuna msiba usiokuwa na mwenziweunfortunate events occur in quantity
Swedish en olycka kommer sällan ensam, när det regnar så öser det ner
- en olycka kommer sällan ensamunfortunate events occur in quantity
- när det regnar så öser det nerunfortunate events occur in quantity
Vietnamese họa vô đơn chí
- họa vô đơn chíunfortunate events occur in quantity
Welsh helynt ni ddaw ei hunan
- helynt ni ddaw ei hunanunfortunate events occur in quantity
Cite this entry
APA
it never rains but it pours. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/it%20never%20rains%20but%20it%20pours
MLA
“it never rains but it pours.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/it%20never%20rains%20but%20it%20pours. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “it never rains but it pours,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/it%20never%20rains%20but%20it%20pours.
Source: it never rains but it pours on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.