1 C1 idiomatic formal
To protest or complain loudly and angrily, especially about an injustice or grievance.
"The poet railed out against the corruption of the ruling class in his final pamphlet."
inseparable
rail out
C1 formal inseparable transitive/intransitive
To protest or complain angrily and at length; or, in a physical sense, to enclose or separate an area using rails.
In plain English
To shout angrily about something you don't like, or to put up a fence or rail around something.
What does "rail out" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 neutral
To enclose or partition an area using rails or railings.
"The construction crew railed out the hazardous section of the pavement to prevent pedestrians from entering."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To rail — to use rails, either as a verb of protest (railing = angry speech) or as a physical barrier.
Actually means
To shout angrily about something you don't like, or to put up a fence or rail around something.
Usage tip
Has two senses that are rarely encountered. The verbal sense (to protest angrily) is an older or literary variant of 'rail against.' The physical sense (to enclose with rails) is a construction/building term. Both uses are uncommon in modern everyday English. 'Rail against' is the standard modern form for the protesting sense.
Words that pair with "rail out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
injustice system decision area section crowd
How to conjugate "rail out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
rail out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
rails out
he/she/it
Past simple
railed out
yesterday
Past participle
railed out
have + pp
-ing form
railing out
continuous
Hear "rail out" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "rail out" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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