Explanation
Indicates 'as though about to ~' or 'as if to say ~'.
Formation
Verb-negative stem + ん + ばかりに
Detailed explanation
The ～んばかりに form is typically built on the negative stem of a verb (ない-form minus ない: 行か→行かん, 言わ→言わん, 知ら→知らん, etc.) + ばかり. It describes someone’s action or expression as though it were about to happen, or as though conveying a certain meaning without explicitly stating it.
Examples
Kare wa nanimo shir-an bakari ni, watashi no shitsumon o mushi shita.
He ignored my question as if he didn’t know anything.
Sono ko wa nakan bakari ni kao o shikameta.
The child made a face as if he were about to cry.
Kanojo wa warawan bakari ni kuchimoto o osaeta.
She covered her mouth as though she were about to burst out laughing.
Kare wa taikutsu da to iwan bakari ni, tameiki o nando mo tsuita.
He sighed over and over as if to say he was bored.
Practice
Grammar content sourced from hanabira.org.