Meanings
proverb
- Unfortunate events occur in streaks or clusters, often in short periods of time.
Synonyms: it never rains but it pours, misfortunes never come singly
Synonyms & antonyms
proverbUnfortunate events occur in streaks or clusters, often in short periods of time.
Also see
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 禍不單行 /祸不单行
- 禍不單行 /祸不单行 (huòbùdānxíng)bad events come in clusters
Hindi कंगाली में आटा गीला
- कंगाली में आटा गीला (kaṅgālī mẽ āṭā gīlā)bad events come in clusters
Hungarian csőstül jön a baj, a baj nem jár egyedül
- csőstül jön a bajbad events come in clusters
- a baj nem jár egyedülbad events come in clusters
Indonesian ada nasi di balik kerak, sudah jatuh, tertimpa tangga
- ada nasi di balik kerakbad events come in clusters
- sudah jatuh, tertimpa tanggabad events come in clusters
Polish nieszczęścia chodzą parami
- nieszczęścia chodzą paramibad events come in clusters
Spanish a perro flaco todo son pulgas
- a perro flaco todo son pulgasbad events come in clusters
Cite this entry
APA
when it rains, it pours. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/when%20it%20rains%2C%20it%20pours
MLA
“when it rains, it pours.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/when%20it%20rains%2C%20it%20pours. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “when it rains, it pours,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/when%20it%20rains%2C%20it%20pours.
Source: when it rains, it pours on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.