balloon

noun

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bal·loon | \ bə-ˈlün

plural balloons

Definition of balloon

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : a nonporous bag of light material that can be inflated especially with air or gas: such as

a : a bag that is filled with heated air or a gas lighter than air so as to rise and float in the atmosphere and that usually carries a suspended load (such as a gondola with passengers)

b : an inflatable bag (as of rubber or plastic) usually used as a toy or for decoration

c medical : a small bag that can be inflated (as in a bodily cavity) with air or gas More than 700,000 Americans undergo procedures in which clogged arteries are cleared out with a balloon and then propped open with a tiny metal scaffold called a stent.— Ron Winslow

2 : the outline enclosing words spoken or thought by a figure especially in a cartoon

go over like a lead balloon (US) or British go down like a lead balloon

informal

: to fail completely to impress or amuse other people Not surprisingly, his overt religiosity has proved a mixed blessing. While probably a winner on the stump, it has gone over like a lead balloon with journalists, liberals, and even many Jewish organizations.— Michelle Cottle But the last time I saw it on stage, in Ned Sherrin's 1996 revival, the dialogue bored me rigid and the whole thing … went down like a lead balloon.— David Nice

balloon

adjective

Definition of balloon (Entry 2 of 3)

1 : relating to, resembling, or suggesting a balloon a balloon sleeve

2 US : having or being a final installment that is much larger than preceding ones in a term or installment note a balloon note a balloon mortgage Got a commercial mortgage coming due? If the loan requires a balloon payment (as many such mortgages do), you may have a hard time refinancing … — INC

balloon

verb

ballooned; ballooning; balloons

Definition of balloon (Entry 3 of 3)

intransitive verb

1 : to swell or puff out : expand ballooned to 200 pounds

2 : to ascend or travel in or as if in a balloon

3 : to increase rapidly ballooning prices

transitive verb

: inflate, increase

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About balloon

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Examples of balloon in a Sentence

Noun I blew up a balloon but then it burst. brightly colored balloons and other party decorations Verb Their credit card debt ballooned to more than $5,000. the ballooning costs of education

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Israeli media reported that the man was a member of the balloon's ground crew. — Reuters, CNN, 19 Oct. 2021 Similar to the balloon, what was happening on the hotplate was that the oil was forming a thin layer around the drop. — Sarah Vitak, Scientific American, 5 Oct. 2021 The balloon struck a power line and the basket toppled about 100 feet onto a busy street. — From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 30 Sep. 2021 The weather balloon launched at Dulles Airport at 8 a.m. — Washington Post, 28 Sep. 2021 Witnesses also told investigators that the balloon's envelop separated from the basket after hitting the power lines and floated away. — NBC News, 23 Sep. 2021 In addition to the iZia balloon, Meleski also flew special shapes like the red Angry Birds and Smokey Bear. — CBS News, 22 Sep. 2021 The device itself ships in a small box; operators on the ground switch them on, attach them to the weather balloon, and Near Space manages them autonomously from there. — Alex Konrad, Forbes, 20 Sep. 2021 Prior to actually taking the bike up, Maddison got reps jumping out of the plane and out of a hot air balloon and doing backflips without it. — Michelle Bruton, Forbes, 9 Sep. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Some patients develop heart rhythm abnormalities or aneurysms, in which artery walls balloon out and threaten to burst. — Liz Szabo, PEOPLE.com, 21 Oct. 2021 Some patients develop heart rhythm abnormalities or aneurysms, in which artery walls balloon out and threaten to burst. — NBC News, 20 Oct. 2021 By that set-up, in a dream scenario, Lore believes Telosa's desert land would eventually balloon in value to be worth $1 trillion. — Scott Gleeson, USA TODAY, 18 Oct. 2021 Migrants from all over found their way to Stratford for seasonal work, causing the town’s population to balloon. — Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2021 Without such knowledge being known in advance, engineering teams can find themselves in trouble financially as cloud computing costs gradually balloon overtime. — Frederick Daso, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2021 Taxpayers covered $432 million of the Soldier Field renovation project, a figure that will balloon substantially once the hundreds of millions of dollars in debt and interest are paid off in 2032. — Bill Ruthhart, chicagotribune.com, 29 Sep. 2021 Other governments around the country are beginning to put in place similar arrangements as well, as the highly contagious delta variant has caused cases to balloon in recent weeks. — Michael D. Shear New York Times, Star Tribune, 28 July 2021 The $432 million in public bonds will balloon substantially once the hundreds of millions of dollars in debt and interest are paid off in 2032. — Bill Ruthhart, chicagotribune.com, 29 Sep. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'balloon.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries Near balloon

ballonné

balloon

balloon angioplasty

Statistics for balloon

Last Updated

24 Oct 2021

Cite this Entry

“Balloon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/balloon. Accessed 28 Oct. 2021.

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More Definitions for balloon

balloon

noun

English Language Learners Definition of balloon

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a thin usually rubber bag that becomes larger when it is filled with air or gas

: a picture or space in a cartoon that contains words that are spoken or thought by a character

balloon

verb

English Language Learners Definition of balloon (Entry 3 of 2)

: to become bigger quickly

balloon

noun

bal·loon | \ bə-ˈlün

Kids Definition of balloon

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a bag that rises and floats above the ground when filled with heated air or with a gas that is lighter than air

2 : a toy or decoration consisting of a rubber bag that can be blown up with air or gas

3 : an outline containing words spoken or thought by a character (as in a cartoon)

balloon

verb

ballooned; ballooning

Kids Definition of balloon (Entry 2 of 2)

: to swell or puff out

balloon

noun

bal·loon | \ bə-ˈlün

Medical Definition of balloon

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a nonporous bag of tough light material that can be inflated (as in a bodily cavity) with air or gas gastroesophageal tamponade by introduction of a balloon into the stomach

balloon

transitive verb

Medical Definition of balloon (Entry 2 of 2)

: to inflate or distend like a balloon

intransitive verb

: to swell or puff out

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balloon

adjective

bal·loon

Legal Definition of balloon

: being or having a final installment that is much larger than preceding ones in an installment or term loan a balloon payment

Note: In contrast to an amortized loan, a balloon loan is generally repaid in periodic payments of interest and a large, lump sum payment of principal at the end of the term.