barges

Meanings

1. 1nounplural

   Long, flat-bottomed boats used to carry heavy goods on rivers and canals.

   Grammar: Plural of barge: two barges passed under the bridge.

   Patterns

   • barges carry something

   Coal barges drifted slowly down the river.

   Barges once carried most of the city's building stone.

   Several barges were tied up at the old dock.

2. 2verbintransitiveinformal

   Moves forward clumsily or rudely, pushing people aside or entering without permission.

   Grammar: Third person singular of barge; often followed by in, into or past: he barges in.

   Patterns

   • barges into something
   • barges in on someone
   • barges past someone

   Dan always barges into the room without knocking.

   She barges past the queue as if she owns the place.

   Nobody likes it when he barges in on private talks.

Word forms

Common combinations

cargo barges

Cargo barges line the canal each morning.

barges along the river

Barges along the river carry sand.

barges in

My brother barges in whenever I'm on a call.

barges into the room

The manager barges into the room mid-meeting.

coal barges

Coal barges fed the factories.

Synonyms and how they differ

boats

Boats is a general word, whereas barges are specifically wide flat vessels for freight.

lighters

Lighters are small barges used to unload larger ships in harbors, so it is a narrower term.

bursts in

Bursts in describes sudden entry, but it can be exciting rather than rude, unlike barges in.

shoves

Shoves stresses the physical push, while barges also suggests clumsy bad manners.

Opposites

Word family

barge noun

a flat freight boat

bargee noun

a person who works on a barge (British)

barging noun

the act of moving goods by barge

Commonly confused: barges or charges?

Practice

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