AbstractWithin the progressive improvement in wave modeling we focus on the attenuation of swell waves by rain. Till now ignored, the process is shown to be relevant, especially for the correct estimate of swell. Following the practical impossibility of devoted field experiments, we exploit the global model results over a period of more than four years to extract the tiny signal associated to the attenuation by rain. A direct comparison of the ratio model by altimeter significant wave heights versus the encountered rain amount hints to a marked related dependence. A proper quantification of the related physical effect requires a multiple step procedure that we describe in detail. We check the reliability of the results, and we provide the related source function ready for implementation in operational wave models.