barrage

barrage — noun

1. a long period of heavy gunfire sent toward enemy positions, often to cover troop

1.nounC2
Definition

a long period of heavy gunfire sent toward enemy positions, often to cover troops as they move forward

Example

Before sunrise, the army opened a barrage along the hillside.

open a barrage

The soldiers moved forward under a heavy barrage from the fort.

under a barrage

Common collocations
  • open a barrage
  • heavy barrage
  • artillery barrage
  • come under a barrage
  • barrage fire
Synonyms
  • bombardment

    a broad military term for repeated attack with shells or bombs

  • shelling

    focuses on shells being fired rather than the protective line they form

  • cannonade

    more literary and less common in everyday English

Antonyms
  • ceasefire

    focuses on a stop in fighting rather than active gunfire

Grammar Patterns

open a barrage

under a barrage

artillery barrage

Usage Note

Usually appears in military writing and often combines with artillery, open, launch, or under. Distinguish from sense 2, which is about words or complaints rather than weapons.

Common Mistakes

The army made barrage before sunrise.
The army opened a barrage before sunrise.
this noun normally goes with verbs like open, launch, or lay down.

2. many questions, complaints, or critical comments aimed at one person or group in

2.nounC1
Definition

many questions, complaints, or critical comments aimed at one person or group in a short time

Example

After the fee change, the bank got a barrage of complaints.

a barrage of + plural noun

Reporters greeted the actor with a barrage of questions.

with a barrage of + noun

Common collocations
  • barrage of questions
  • barrage of complaints
  • barrage of criticism
  • face a barrage
  • answer a barrage
Synonyms
  • flood

    broader and often less aggressive

  • volley

    suggests a shorter burst, especially of questions or remarks

  • onslaught

    stronger and more hostile, with heavier pressure

Antonyms
  • lull

    suggests a temporary quiet period

  • trickle

    suggests only a few things arriving slowly

Grammar Patterns

a barrage of questions

a barrage of complaints

face a barrage of criticism

Usage Note

Most often appears in the pattern a barrage of + plural noun. Unlike sense 1, it usually describes language, public reaction, or messages rather than physical fire.

Common Mistakes

She received many barrage of emails.
She received a barrage of emails.
barrage is normally a singular countable noun after a or the.

3. a low dam that holds back or redirects river water, often for power, transport,

3.nounC2
Definition

a low dam that holds back or redirects river water, often for power, transport, or farming

Example

The new barrage keeps seawater out and stores river water inland.

barrage for water control

Engineers checked the barrage after last week's heavy rain.

Common collocations
  • tidal barrage
  • build a barrage
  • river barrage
  • barrage gate
  • open the barrage
Synonyms
  • dam

    the general word for a structure holding back water

  • weir

    usually smaller and more technical in meaning

  • barrier

    much broader and not specific to water engineering

Grammar Patterns

build a barrage

tidal barrage

barrage across a river

Usage Note

Common in technical discussion of rivers, coasts, and power projects. Often modified by tidal and used for a built structure, not for a temporary barrier.

Common Mistakes

They built a barrage on the road.
They built a barrage across the river.
this sense is a water-control structure, not a roadblock.

barrage — verb

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

For noun sense 2, barrage suggests many questions, complaints, or comments coming one after another in a short time. Flood is broader and often less aggressive: you can get a flood of emails simply because many people replied. Volley often suggests a shorter burst, especially of questions or criticism. Onslaught is stronger and more hostile, and it stresses pressure that feels hard to resist. A bank may face a barrage of complaints after a fee rise, while a teacher may receive a flood of messages before exams. At a press conference, a politician might answer a volley of questions. If the reaction feels especially fierce, onslaught is the better choice.

barrage ↗flood ↗volleyonslaught

Etymology

FrenchEnglish

English borrowed barrage from French. The engineering sense first referred to a barrier built to hold back or control water. During World War I, English also took the French military expression for a line of blocking fire, and that image later widened to the figurative sense of a sudden rush of questions, criticism, or similar attacks.