when it rains it pours meaning

The phrase "when it rains, it pours" is an idiom used to describe situations where once something happens, usually something negative, a series of other similar events follow in quick succession or all at once. It often refers to a streak of bad luck or unfortunate events occurring one after another, making a difficult situation even worse. The origin of the phrase comes from the natural weather phenomenon where, after a long dry spell, rain suddenly falls heavily and continuously. Metaphorically, it suggests that problems or events don't come singly but tend to cluster together. For example, if a person's car breaks down and then shortly after, they forget something important at work, they might say, "when it rains, it pours," meaning multiple bad things are happening at the same time or in close succession. This idiom can be applied both to negative events and sometimes positive ones, although it is more commonly used for misfortunes. It reflects a feeling that events are outside one’s control and may seem almost superstitious.