雷 鳴(らいめい)

らいめい

noun

thunder, thunderclap

formalliterarycolloquial

1. thunder, thunderclap

The sound of thunder, typically heard during a thunderstorm.

遠(とお)くで雷鳴(らいめい)が聞(き)こえた。

I heard thunder in the distance.

雷鳴(らいめい)が轟(とどろ)いた。

Thunder rumbled.

激(はげ)しい雷鳴(らいめい)と稲光(いなびかり)で目(め)が覚(さ)めた。

I woke up to intense thunder and lightning.

Usage: 雷鳴(らいめい) is a more literary or formal word for thunder compared to 雷(かみなり).

Common collocations

雷鳴(らいめい)が轟(とどろ)く (thunder rumbles)
雷鳴(らいめい)が鳴(な)り響(ひび)く (thunder resounds)
雷鳴(らいめい)が聞(き)こえる (to hear thunder)

Related words

雷(かみなり) - thunder (more common, colloquial)
稲光(いなびかり) - lightning flash
稲妻(いなずま) - lightning bolt
落雷(らくらい) - lightning strike
雷雨(らいう) - thunderstorm

Comparison: While 雷(かみなり) can refer to both thunder and lightning, 雷鳴(らいめい) specifically refers only to the sound of thunder.

Related Words

Related: 稲光(いなびかり) (lightning flash)

Related: 稲妻(いなずま) (lightning bolt)

Related: 落雷(らくらい) (lightning strike)

Related: 雷雨(らいう) (thunderstorm)

Compare: 雷光(らいこう) (lightning flash)

general

Added 2026.1.17 13:49 · Revised 2026.9.2 12:02

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