N1 Appearance, Manner, and Resemblance

~んばかりに: meaning, usage and examples

~んばかりに means: as if... / almost... / as if about to...

Updated 9 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Spotted a mistake? Tell us

Examples

1. 彼かれは、頭あたまが割われんばかりに痛いたいと訴うったえた。

   He complained that his head hurt as if it were about to split open.

2. 割われんばかりの拍手はくしゅが会場かいじょうに響ひびいた。

   Thunderous applause rang through the hall.

3. 迷子まいごの子供こどもは、今いまにも泣なき出ださんばかりの顔かおをしていた。

   The lost child looked as if they were about to burst into tears.

4. 店員てんいんは、早はやく帰かえれと言いわんばかりに片付かたづけを始はじめた。

   The staff started cleaning up, as if to tell us to hurry up and leave.

When to use it

Describes a state so extreme that something seems about to happen, though it does not: 泣なかんばかりの顔かお (a face on the verge of tears), 割われんばかりの拍手はくしゅ (thunderous applause). 言いわんばかりに means "as if to say". Example: 頭あたまが割われんばかりに痛いたい, my head hurts as if it would split.

Nuance

Written and formal, with a dramatic tone. The ん is the old volitional auxiliary (む → ん), attached to the same stem as ない, so it only joins verbs. Mostly describes what others look like or set phrases; it is not used to state your own plans.

Compare

とばかりに takes a whole quoted sentence: 「帰かえれ」とばかりに. んばかりに takes a verb in its ない-stem: 帰かえれと言いわんばかりに. The everyday version is そうなほど: 泣なきそうなほど悲かなしい. んばかりの is the written equivalent of 今いまにも〜そうな: 今いまにも泣なき出だしそうな顔かお.

Tip: Form check: 言いう → 言いわんばかり, 泣なく → 泣なかんばかり, する → せんばかり. Never 言いうんばかり; the ん replaces the ない of the negative form.