barrage
Americannoun
-
Military. a heavy barrier of artillery fire to protect one's own advancing or retreating troops or to stop the advance of enemy troops.
-
an overwhelming quantity or explosion, as of words, blows, or criticisms.
a barrage of questions.
-
Civil Engineering. an artificial obstruction in a watercourse to increase the depth of the water, facilitate irrigation, etc.
-
Mycology. an aversion response of sexually incompatible fungus cultures that are growing in proximity, revealed by a persistent growth gap between them.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
military the firing of artillery to saturate an area, either to protect against an attack or to support an advance
-
an overwhelming and continuous delivery of something, as words, questions, or punches
-
a usually gated construction, similar to a low dam, across a watercourse, esp one to increase the depth of water to assist navigation or irrigation
-
fencing a heat or series of bouts in a competition
verb
Other Word Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has barragedperfect 3rd person singular
-
have barragedperfect
-
have been barragingperfect progressive
-
barragessingular 3rd person
-
has been barragingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
am barragingprogressive 1st person singular
-
are barragingprogressive
-
barragingparticiple
-
is barragingprogressive 3rd person singular
Past
-
had barragedperfect
-
were barragingprogressive plural
-
was barragingprogressive singular
-
barragedparticiple
-
barragedsimple
-
had been barragingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of barrage
1855–60; < French: blocking, barring off, barrier, equivalent to barr ( er ) to bar 1 + -age -age; artillery sense by ellipsis from French tir de barrage barrier fire
Explanation
A barrage is something that comes quickly and heavily — as an attack of bullets or artillery, or a fast spray of words. Sometimes in movies or news footage, the audience gets a glimpse from behind a mounted weapon and sees a heavy rain of bombs or bullets — called a barrage — going toward a target, sending as much POW! as possible to hit a wide area. Words become a barrage when spoken or written in uncontrollable anger or with overflowing emotion: "Her human-rights speech was a barrage of passion. It was hard to keep up with, but we felt the intensity of her cause."
Vocabulary lists containing barrage
Touching Spirit Bear
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "B"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Grade 10, List 4
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
However, it’s also about 20 miles from Iran’s mainland, from which Iran’s military could mount and resupply a steady barrage of missiles, drones, and even artillery fire.
From Slate • Jun. 11, 2026
Pratt’s campaign had become a social media hit over the prior month, fueled by a simple message, a barrage of A.I. slop videos, and Elon Musk’s X algorithm.
From Slate • Jun. 3, 2026
Meanwhile, social media companies including Instagram-parent Meta, Snap Inc, TikTok, and Google's YouTube are facing a barrage of lawsuits from states, school districts, and individuals alleging they design their products to be addictive.
From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026
But during cross-examination of Altman on Tuesday, Musk’s lawyer, Steven Molo, opened with a brutal barrage of questions about his character: “Are you completely trustworthy?” he asked.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 2026
It seemed like an impossibly long walk to cross the room to them, and they began a bruising barrage of comments.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
