railing

1 of 2

noun

rail·​ing ˈrā-liŋ 

1

: a barrier consisting of a rail and supports

2

: rails

also : material for making rails

railing

2 of 2

present participle of rail entry 2, rail entry 4

Synonyms of railing

Noun

• rail

Examples of railing in a Sentence

Noun

He leaned on the deck's railing and watched the sun set.

they had to put a childproof railing on the balcony when the baby started walking

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The 120 year-old staircase was also retained, with only the railings on its landing built to match. — Nuriyah Johar, Architectural Digest, 16 Oct. 2026

Almost all of them seemed empty, like houses closed for the season, but a handful had signs of life—crewmen at the railings, polishing the brightwork, as if getting ready to leave. — Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026

Several spectators reached for the ball along the railing as Moises Alou lunged to try to make the catch. — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026

Another video, taken seconds later, shows Xavier at the railing. — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for railing

• ailing
• bailing
• baling
• failing
• flailing
• grayling
• hailing
• jailing
• mailing
• nailing
• paling
• sailing

Kids Definition

railing

noun

rail·​ing ˈrā-liŋ 

1

: a barrier (as a fence) consisting of rails and their supports

2

: material for rails