noun
rain check
RAYN chek
Rain check (noun) means a polite refusal of an invitation that leaves the door open for another time, almost always in the phrase "take a rain check". Example: “I'll take a rain check on dinner — I'm on a deadline.”
noun
1
informal A polite refusal of an invitation that leaves the door open for another time, almost always in the phrase "take a rain check".
"I'll take a rain check on dinner — I'm on a deadline."
"Can I get a rain check for next week?"
2
chiefly North American A voucher a shop gives a customer when an advertised item is out of stock, letting them buy it later at the advertised price.
"The store issued a rain check for the sale price on the printer."
3
A ticket stub entitling the holder to admission to a rescheduled event when the original is called off because of rain.
"The game was abandoned in the fourth innings and rain checks were handed out at the gates."
How to use rain check
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA polite "not now, but maybe another time".
When to use it
Informal; American in origin but fully naturalised in British English.
Memory tip
The verb is nearly always "take": you take a rain check, you do not "do" or "make" one.
Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
Common pairings
take a rain check
give someone a rain check
rain check on that
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Can you complete this real example?
I'll take a _____ on dinner — I'm on a deadline.
Etymology
From American baseball, where spectators at a rained-off game were given a stub admitting them to the replayed fixture.
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Frequently asked questions
What does it mean when someone says "I'll take a rain check"?
They are declining right now but signalling that they would like to do it another time. It is a soft no — genuine willingness in some mouths, a courteous brush-off in others, and tone usually tells you which.
Is it "rain check" or "raincheck"?
Two words is the standard spelling in both American and British usage, and it is the form dictionaries list. The closed-up "raincheck" is common informally but is still treated as a variant.
How do you politely take a rain check?
Name a reason and offer a specific alternative: "I can't make Thursday, but could we do the following week?" Without a proposed date, a rain check reads as a decline.
What is the meaning of rain check?
"rain check" (noun) means a polite refusal of an invitation that leaves the door open for another time, almost always in the phrase "take a rain check".
