What does “rail” mean?
- 1
nounthe railroad system, or one of the metal bars trains run on
Goods are transported by rail.
- 2
nouna bar fixed to a wall or along stairs to hold or hang things on
Hold the rail as you go down the stairs.
- 3
verbto complain angrily about something, used with “against”
He railed against the unfair tax system.
Rail at a glance
- Part of speech
- noun & verb
- CEFR level
- B2 (upper intermediate)
- Pronunciation
- /reɪl/ · RAYL
How to use “rail” correctly
“Go off the rails” means start behaving badly. The verb “rail against” is formal and slightly literary.
Common phrases with “rail”
- by rail
- rail network
- go off the rails
- towel rail
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Synonyms (similar meaning)
- train
- bar
- rant
Word family
- railing
- railway
- derail
“rail” is on these word lists
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