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rain check

a polite refusal with a promise to accept later

In Idioms & Sayings

In more detail

1. (idiom) a promise to do something at a later time because you cannot do it now

2. (noun) a ticket or pass that allows you to attend an event at a future date if the original event is canceled or postponed due to rain

Examples

• 1. I can't go to the movie tonight, but can we take a rain check for next weekend?
• 2. When the baseball game was rained out, fans received a rain check to watch another game later.

How to use rain check

Rain check is used as both a noun and in the phrasal verb 'take a rain check' to indicate a polite postponement of plans. It originated from baseball when tickets were issued for a future game if the original was rained out. In modern usage, it's a friendly, informal way to decline an invitation while suggesting a future alternative, without implying a specific commitment.

Register: informal

Common phrases

• take a rain check
• give someone a rain check
• ask for a rain check
• offer a rain check
• rain check on

Synonyms

postponement · deferral · raincheck (variant spelling) · future opportunity · later date

Word family

rain checks (plural)

A common mistake

Learners sometimes write it as two words 'rain cheque' (British spelling variant) or misspell it as 'rain check' when meaning to literally check the rain—these are not interchangeable with the idiom.

Nearby in Idioms & Sayings

out of the blue, play it by ear, pull yourself together, read between the lines, ring a bell, take with a grain of salt

Keep going

How to remember the words you read · Spaced repetition, explained