んばかり（に） (nbakari ni)

Meaning & usage

As if ~ were about to ~; almost | An adverbial phrase that is used when a situation looks as if someone were about to do something or as if something were about to occur literally or figuratively.

Example sentences 13

1. 「風の谷のナウシカ」を娘さんに薦められて見たお父さんは、涙を流さんばかりに感激した。

   The father was so deeply moved by "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind," which his daughter recommended he watch, that he almost cried.

2. その選手がシュートを決めた時、夜空に鳴り響く雷鳴をかき消さんばかりに、大歓声が競技場にとどろいた。

   When the player scored a goal, a big shout of jubilation reverberated throughout the arena, as though it would muffle the rumble of thunder in the night sky.

3. どの演奏も若さと情熱あふれんばかりに満ちていた。

   Every performance was filled with an overwhelming amount of youth and passion (literally: as if youth and passion were about to overflow).

4. 上司から叱りつけられた山崎は土下座せぬばかりに平身低頭して謝った。

   When his boss told him off, Yamazaki apologized, bowing to the ground as if he were about to get down on his hands and knees.

5. 引っ越しの時あまり重いものを持ったので、腕が肩から抜けんばかりだった。

   During the move I carried such heavy stuff that it felt as if my arms were about to fall out of their sockets (literally: come out from the shoulders).

6. 彼に別れたいと言われた時には、私は胸が張り裂けんばかりに苦しかった。

   When he told me he wanted to break up, it was so painful I thought my chest would burst.

7. 彼の死を聞いた時、彼女は気も狂わぬばかりに泣き叫んだ。

   When she heard the news of his death, she screamed as if she were crazy.

8. 彼女はいつもこぼれんばかりの笑みをたたえている。

   She is always smiling as if her smiles would overflow.

9. 時折、木の枝も折れんばかりの強風が吹いていた。

   Occasionally the wind was blowing so hard it seemed the tree branches would break.

10. 樹高10メートルの梢から地面に届かんばかりに垂れ下がっている様子は、まさに流れ落ちる桜花の滝にふさわしい。

    The way in which the cherry blossoms are hanging from the top of the branch of the 10-meter tree, as if they were about to touch the ground, is just worthy of being called a cherry blossom waterfall.

11. 演奏が終わるか終わらないかのうちに、この曲を知っているのは自分だと言わんばかりに拍手をする人もいます。

    Some people begin applauding just as a performance is coming to an end as if they were showing (literally: saying) how well they know the piece.

12. 犬は噛みつかんばかりに僕に向かってほえた。

    The dog barked at me as if it were about to bite.

13. 驚いて腰を抜かさんばかりだった。

    I was so frightened that it seemed I was about to lose the use of my legs (literally: to lose my lower back).