to yearn for relief from a desperate situation; literally looking for rain clouds during a severe drought

Clouds and a rainbow during a major drought; describes an intense or eager longing for something to happen. Originally from the text of Mencius describing people's desperate desire for rain signs during a dry spell.

To yearn for relief from a desperate situation; literally looking for rain clouds during a severe drought. This idiom expresses an earnest longing for the arrival of someone or the fulfillment of a wish.