What do you call rain that evaporates before it reaches the ground?

Virga is the term used to describe rain that evaporates before it reaches the ground. This phenomenon occurs when the air between the cloud and the surface is quite dry, causing the falling raindrops to evaporate mid-air. As a result, you may see streaks of precipitation that do not actually touch the ground. Virga is often associated with convective clouds and can indicate that moisture is becoming increasingly scarce as it descends.

The other terms in the question refer to different weather phenomena. Sleet involves frozen water droplets that can reach the ground, while rain is simply liquid precipitation that makes it to the surface. Graupel is a form of soft hail or snow pellet that falls but is not related to the evaporation process described in the question. Thus, virga accurately captures the essence of the scenario where precipitation evaporates before making contact with the Earth.