*Torrential* describes rain that falls extremely hard — not a shower, not merely heavy, but water coming down in sheets, so fast that drains cannot swallow it and streets begin to flood. Taiwanese students have the perfect picture already: the rain of a typhoon afternoon, or a summer 午後雷陣雨 at its worst. That is torrential rain.

Torrentialtorrential describes rain that falls extremely hard用來形容下得極大的雨 — not a shower, not merely heavy不是陣雨，也不只是大雨而已, but water coming down in sheets而是像成片的水一樣傾瀉而下, so fast that drains cannot swallow it and streets begin to flood快到排水溝來不及排，街道開始淹水。Taiwanese students have the perfect picture already台灣學生腦中其實早就有完美的畫面了: the rain of a typhoon afternoon, or a summer 午後雷陣雨 at its worst颱風天下午的雨，或是夏天午後雷陣雨下到最誇張的樣子。That is torrential rain那就是torrential rain。

In practice the word is nearly welded to one noun. *Torrential rain*, *torrential downpour*, *torrential rainfall* — those three cover almost every real use, and weather reports lean on the phrase constantly. If you use it about anything else, it will sound odd, with two exceptions worth knowing: writers sometimes speak of torrential floods or a torrential river (water rushing violently), and, more rarely and always as a deliberate image, of a torrential flow of words from someone who will not stop talking.

In practice the word is nearly welded to one noun實際使用時，這個字幾乎黏死在一個名詞上. Torrential rain, torrential downpour, torrential rainfalltorrential rain、torrential downpour、torrential rainfall — those three cover almost every real use這三個詞幾乎涵蓋了所有真實用法, and weather reports lean on the phrase constantly氣象報導也一直靠這個說法。If you use it about anything else, it will sound odd如果用在別的東西上會顯得很怪, with two exceptions worth knowing不過有兩個值得知道的例外: writers sometimes speak of torrential floods or a torrential river (water rushing violently)作家有時會說torrential floods（洶湧的洪水）或a torrential river（湍急的河）, and, more rarely and always as a deliberate image而更少見、而且一定是刻意用的比喻, of a torrential flow of words from someone who will not stop talking就是形容一個人講個不停，話像瀑布一樣torrential flow of words。

A point about strength: this is already a strong word, so "very torrential" sounds wrong to a native ear, a bit like saying "very enormous". The word has the *very* built in.

A point about strength關於強度有一點要注意: this is already a strong word這個字本身語氣已經很強了, so 'very torrential' sounds wrong to a native ear所以「very torrential」在母語者聽起來會怪怪的, a bit like saying 'very enormous'有點像在說「very enormous」一樣。The word has the very built in這個字已經內建了「very」的語氣。

It is neutral in register — the newspaper says it, the weather forecaster says it, and an ordinary person telling you why they arrived soaked says it too. It is not a bookish word like *torpid*.

It is neutral in register這個字的語氣是中性的 — the newspaper says it報紙會用, the weather forecaster says it氣象主播會用, and an ordinary person telling you why they arrived soaked says it too一般人跟你解釋自己怎麼被淋濕的時候也會用。It is not a bookish word like torpid它不像torpid那樣是個書卷氣很重的字。

What it is not, though, is a word for long rain. Rain can be torrential for twenty minutes; the word is about violence and volume, not duration. For rain that simply will not stop for three days, English says *persistent rain*, or that it *rained non-stop*.

What it is not, though不過有一點它不是: is a word for long rain它不是用來形容「下很久的雨」的字。Rain can be torrential for twenty minutes雨可以只torrential二十分鐘; the word is about violence and volume, not duration這個字講的是猛烈程度和雨量，不是時間長短。For rain that simply will not stop for three days如果雨一連下了三天都不停, English says *persistent rain*英文會說persistent rain（持續不斷的雨）, or that it *rained non-stop*或是說it rained non-stop（雨下個不停）。