take a rain check

Meaning

This idiom is used to politely decline an invitation or offer at the moment, while suggesting that you would like to accept it at a later date. It is highly common in casual and semi-formal social contexts.

Examples

• I’d love to go for a drink, but I have to finish this report. Can I take a rain check?

  I’d love to go for a drink, but I have to finish this report. Can I take a rain check?

• Mind if I take a rain check on dinner tonight? I'm feeling a bit under the weather.

  Mind if I take a rain check on dinner tonight? I'm feeling a bit under the weather.

• We had to take a rain check on our weekend trip because of the storm.

  We had to take a rain check on our weekend trip because of the storm.

• Let's take a rain check and meet up next week instead.

  Let's take a rain check and meet up next week instead.

• She asked if she could take a rain check, promising to reschedule soon.

  She asked if she could take a rain check, promising to reschedule soon.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I want to make a rain check for our meeting.

  ✓ I want to take a rain check on our meeting.

  The correct verb is 'take', not 'make'. Also, the preposition used with the event being postponed is 'on'.

• ✗ Can I take a rain check tomorrow?

  ✓ Can I take a rain check until tomorrow?

  Use 'until' or 'for' to specify the future time you want to delay the plans to.

Related Expressions

Practice

• I'm too tired for the movies tonight. Can I ___?

  💡 Politely reschedule for later

  Show answer

  take a rain check

• He had to ___ on lunch because of an urgent client meeting.

  💡 Decline now but do it later

  Show answer

  take a rain check