railing

noun

rail·​ing ˈrā-liŋ 

1

: a barrier consisting of a rail and supports

2

: rails

also : material for making rails

Synonyms

• balustrade
• banister
• bannister
• guardrail
• rail

Examples of railing in a Sentence

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

Police said some commuters leaped over the railing while others were crushed or fell underfoot and were trampled. —Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 June 2025

At first, Souper, whose real name is Hugo, tries to push Jeff over the railing at the top of a tall flight of stairs. —Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 1 June 2025

The couple, Matthew Nannen, 45, and Bailee Crane, 58, allegedly climbed over a railing at Inspiration Point, which is situated along a high plateau at the top of the park's Grand Staircase, according to the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office. —Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 30 May 2025

On Monday, a hiker at Virginia’s Crabtree Falls fell to her death after crossing a safety railing to snap a photo. —Alice Jones Webb, Outdoor Life, 29 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

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