1 B2 neutral
To prevent someone from entering a building or area.
"Security barred him out of the venue after he refused to show his ID."
separable
bar out
B2 neutral separable transitive
To prevent someone from entering a place; to exclude someone.
In plain English
To stop someone from being allowed to come in somewhere.
What does "bar out" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic neutral
(Historical, British school tradition) For pupils to lock or bar the classroom door to prevent the teacher from entering, usually as a seasonal prank.
"On the last day of term, the boys barred out the headmaster as they had done every year."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To bar someone from the outside — to prevent their entry using a bar.
Actually means
To stop someone from being allowed to come in somewhere.
Usage tip
Less common than 'lock out' or 'shut out'. Can also refer to the practice in some schools where children historically 'barred out' teachers from the classroom as a form of protest or tradition.
Words that pair with "bar out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
pupils students teacher members public access
How to conjugate "bar out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
bar out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
bars out
he/she/it
Past simple
bared out
yesterday
Past participle
bared out
have + pp
-ing form
baring out
continuous
Hear "bar out" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "bar out" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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