ballad

noun

bal·​lad ˈba-ləd 

1

a

: a narrative composition in rhythmic verse suitable for singing

a ballad about King Arthur

b

: an art song accompanying a traditional ballad

2

: a simple song : air

3

: a popular song

especially : a slow romantic or sentimental song

a ballad they danced to at their wedding reception

balladic

bə-ˈla-dik 

ba-

adjective

Synonyms

• ditty
• jingle
• lay
• lyric
• song
• vocal

Examples of ballad in a Sentence

a haunting ballad about lost love and loneliness

Recent Examples on the Web

And instead of opening their shows with familiar ballads, the Mexican trio have opted to showcase a few funky songs from their album Panorama, which came out on May 9. —Lucas Villa, SPIN, 10 June 2024

The midsection is a surfeit of four- and five-minute tearjerkers attempting colorful twists on the classic lovelorn rock ballad, which throttle the pacing of the short album while giving proof to admirable versatility. —Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 22 May 2024

The Live Finale, Part 1 aired on Monday, May 20, and showcased the singers' musical talents with an uptempo song and a ballad. —Dina Kaur, The Arizona Republic, 21 May 2024

Phil Collins’ moody ballad from the film of the same name connected deeply listeners, in part due to the massive clout the still-new MTV had on the pop chart then. —Peter Larsen, Orange County Register, 29 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English balad, balade, ballade, balett "poem or song in stanza form, poem or stanza in rhyme royal or a similar form," borrowed from Middle French balade, going back to Old French barade, balade "song to be danced to, short poem to be sung," borrowed from Old Occitan ballada, from ballar "to dance" (going back to Late Latin ballāre) + -ada -ade — more at ball entry 3

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing ballad

• ballad stanza

Kids Definition

ballad

noun

bal·​lad ˈbal-əd 

1

: a poem that tells a story of adventure, of romance, or of a hero, that is suitable for singing, and that usually has stanzas of four lines with a rhyme on the second and fourth lines

2

: a simple song

3

: a usually slow or sentimental popular song