Pour is a verb with several related meanings. Its most common everyday use is to make a liquidA substance such as water that can flow freely and takes its container’s shape. flow from one containerAn object or space used to hold or store things. or place to another, or to flow in a steadyContinuing at the same rate, without sudden changes or interruptions. stream. It can also describe heavy rain, crowds moving out quickly, or giving something in large amounts.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-15. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /pɔr/
Easy pronunciation: POR (approximate spelling).
Stress: One syllable, stressed on the only syllable.
This is the verb sense meaning to tip liquid out or let it flow steadily.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: inaccurate — correction needed. Checked: 2026-10-15. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pour Meaning
to tip liquid out or let it flow steadily
Part of speech: verb
Definition: to make a liquid flow from one container to another, or to flow out in a steady stream
Example: She poured the milk into her coffee.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- decant — Works when liquid is transferred from one container to another, often carefully.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-15. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Pour
Meaning 2
to rain hard
Part of speech: verb
Definition: to rain very heavily
Example: It was pouring outside all afternoon.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- pelt — Can describe heavy rain, though it is less direct and more literary.
- rain buckets — Informal phrase for very heavy rain.
- rain cats and dogs — Informal idiom meaning to rain very heavily.
Meaning 3
to move quickly in a large crowd
Part of speech: verb
Definition: to move or come in large numbers
Example: Fans poured out of the stadium after the game.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- stream — Works for people or things moving continuously in large numbers.
- swarm — Works when many people or animals move together, but it often suggests crowding or clustering.
- teem — Can mean to be full of moving people or things, but it is less direct as a substitute.
Meaning 4
to let liquid run over something
Part of speech: verb
Definition: to make liquid flow over something; to cause something to run
Example: He poured cold water over his face.
Meaning 5
to flow out in a sudden stream
Part of speech: verb
Definition: to flow out suddenly or quickly
Example: Blood poured from the cut.
Meaning 6
to put a lot of money, effort, or resources into something
Part of speech: verb
Definition: to give or spend something in large amounts
Example: The company poured money into new technology.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-15. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pour Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- decant
to rain very heavily
- pelt
- rain buckets
- rain cats and dogs
to move or come in large numbers
- stream
- swarm
- teem
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-15. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Do not confuse pour (to make liquid flow) with pore, which means to study carefully.
- Pour out can be a phrasal verb meaning to empty something, not a general synonym for every use of pour.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-15. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does pour mean in everyday English?
Most often, pour means to make liquid flow from one container into another, like pouring water into a glass.
What are the main synonyms for pour?
For the main liquid sense, decant is the closest true synonym in the supplied data. Other meanings have different synonyms, such as stream for people moving in large numbers.
Can pour mean heavy rain?
Yes. In that sense, it means rain very heavily, as in It’s pouring outside.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-15. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
