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

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?"

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."

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 notes

In 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

reschedule → postpone → rain date

Common pairings

take a rain check give someone a rain check rain check on that

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “rain check” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the Gap

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.

Origin: English

Synonyms

View more →

postponement deferral

Related Words

delay suspension postpone postponement procrastination extension

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.

People Also Searched

delay suspension postpone postponement procrastination extension