barriernoun [ C ]
uk/ˈbær.i.ər/us/ˈber.i.ɚ/barrier noun [ C ] (FENCE)
B2 a long pole, fence, wall, or natural feature, such as a mountain or sea, that stops people from going somewhere:
Barriers have been erected all along the route the Pope will take.
The mountains acted as a natural barrier to the spread of the disease.
See also
crash barrier
UK a gate in some railway stations through which you must go to get on a train:
Passengers are requested to show their tickets at the barrier.
More examples
- The land drops (away) sharply behind the barrier.
- At the given signal, the group rushed forward to the barrier.
- The barrier absorbed the main impact of the crash.
- They've put barriers up to stop people (from) getting through.
- The talks were meant to break down barriers between the two groups.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Parts of buildings: fences & rails
- balustrade
- banister
- barbed wire
- barricade
- chain-link fence
- crush barrier
- fence
- fence sth in
- fence sth off
- fencing
- gatepost
- hoarding
- paling
- palisade
- picket fence
- picture rail
- rail
- railing
- windbreak
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Railways & railway lines
barrier noun [ C ] (OBSTACLE)
B2 anything that prevents people from being together or understanding each other:
Despite the language barrier (= not speaking the same language), they soon became good friends.
Shyness is one of the biggest barriers to making friends (= something that makes this difficult).
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Preventing and impeding
- avert
- avoid
- avoidable
- bar
- be a drag on sb/sth idiom
- block sth out
- bottleneck
- derail
- fireproof
- hold out on sb
- hold sb/sth back
- hold/keep sb/sth at bay idiom
- holding pattern
- impede
- prevention
- prevention is better than cure idiom
- preventive
- prohibit
- pull
- scuttle
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