The phrase "came down in buckets" usually refers to a heavy rainfall. While there are many synonyms for this expression, there are also several antonyms to express the opposite of heavy rainfall. "Dried up" is a popular antonym describing a situation where there is little or no rainfall, causing the earth to become hard and parched. Other antonyms for "came down in buckets" include "drizzled," which describes a light rain with very small droplets that lasts for a long time. Another antonym is "clear skies," which describes a sky that is free from clouds and where no rainfall is expected. Other antonyms could be "sunshine," "warm and dry," or "dry spell.