barring — except for; excluding; unless there is
Part of speech: PREPOSITION
Definition: except for; excluding; unless there is
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈbɑːrɪŋ/
Example Sentences
- Barring a zombie apocalypse, I'll definitely finish my homework tonight.
- The bouncer was barring drunk customers from entering the club.
- Barring a lottery win, I'll be eating ramen for the rest of the month.
barring
PREPOSITION[/ˈbɑːrɪŋ/]
except for; excluding; unless there is

Barring any sudden storms, the harbor festival will start at sunset.
Got the picture? Now let's practice.
🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Barring derives from Old French 'barre,' originally meaning a physical rod or bar used to obstruct doorways or passages. Over time, the term evolved from this concrete sense to encompass abstract meanings of obstruction and exclusion, such as 'to bar' or 'to prevent.'
Breakdown
bar (to obstruct or fasten with a bar) + -ing (present participle suffix indicating an action or process). The root 'bar' comes from Old French 'barre,' meaning a rod or barrier.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“Barring a zombie apocalypse, I'll definitely finish my homework tonight.”
“The bouncer was barring drunk customers from entering the club.”
“Barring a lottery win, I'll be eating ramen for the rest of the month.”
“The new policy is barring employees from using social media during work hours.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related
Want to master 19,000+ words?
Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.