barge

1 of 2

noun

: any of various boats: such as
a
: a roomy usually flat-bottomed boat used chiefly for the transport of goods on inland waterways and usually propelled by towing
b
: a large motorboat supplied to the flag officer of a flagship
c
: a roomy pleasure boat
especially : a boat of state elegantly furnished and decorated

barge

2 of 2

verb

barged; barging

transitive verb

: to carry by barge

intransitive verb

1
: to move ponderously or clumsily
2
: to thrust oneself heedlessly or unceremoniously
barged into the meeting

Examples of barge in a Sentence

Verb He came rushing down the stairs, barging into the crowd of people at the bottom. She barged through the door without even knocking.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The rising fifth-grader at Lehrman Day School in Miami Beach was one of five summer campers aboard a 17-foot Hobie Getaway that was hit by a 60-foot barge around 11:15 a.m. on July 28 between Hibiscus and Monument islands off Miami Beach. Milena Malaver, Sun Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2025 Mila Yankelevich, 7, and 13-year-old Erin Victoria Ko Han were also killed after the 60-foot barge being pushed by a tugboat crashed into the 17-foot Hobie Getaway sailboat with five campers — girls between the ages of 7 and 13 — and one 19-year-old female camp counselor aboard. Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 5 Aug. 2025
Verb
This hopeful ball in behind caused problems for Paredes… …who looked second-favourite, but used her strength to simply barge Eurlings off the ball. Michael Cox, New York Times, 27 July 2025 Now, the shares are testing this level once more, and could barge on through, with this bullish combination flashing. Schaeffer's Investment Research, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for barge

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin barca

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1649, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of barge was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Barge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barge. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

barge

1 of 2 noun
: a broad flat-bottomed boat that is usually towed and used chiefly to transport goods in harbors and on rivers and canals

barge

2 of 2 verb
barged; barging
1
: to carry by barge
2
: to move or push oneself clumsily or rudely
barged right in

More from Merriam-Webster on barge

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