At a glance
～んばかりに means "as if about to ~" or "as if to say ~". It describes a state so intense that it almost reaches an action, even though the action usually does not happen. It is mainly used in writing and formal speech.
Verb (ない-stem) + んばかりに + verb
Verb (ない-stem) + んばかりの + noun
彼女は泣かんばかりに頼んだ。 She begged as if she were about to cry.
How to form it
Take the ない form, drop ない, and add ん. Then add ばかりに, ばかりの or ばかりだ.
| Verb group | Dictionary form | ない form | ～んばかり |
|---|---|---|---|
| う-verb | 言う | 言わない | 言わんばかり |
| う-verb | 泣く | 泣かない | 泣かんばかり |
| る-verb | 割れる | 割れない | 割れんばかり |
| する | する | しない | せんばかり |
| Pattern | What follows | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ～んばかりに | a verb | 泣かんばかりに頼む |
| ～んばかりの | a noun | 割れんばかりの拍手 |
| ～んばかりだ | end of sentence | 今にも泣かんばかりだ |