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

That same year, a man trying to slide down a railing at Coors Field at a Colorado Rockies game fell and died. —Homero De La Fuente, CNN Money, 1 May 2025

Drama Queen This elegant railing and rounded walls needed an equally grand runner. —Katie Akin, Southern Living, 27 Apr. 2025

The four-minute ride started slowly, with a red machine resembling a claw lifting me up and out over the railing of Deck 20. —Nathan Diller, USA Today, 22 Apr. 2025

Instead of occupying a large amount of space like round tables can, this half-circle style can be placed flush against railings, providing a convenient space for entertaining. —Ali Faccenda, People.com, 26 Apr. 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