plural balloons
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
Ron Winslow2
: the outline enclosing words spoken or thought by a figure especially in a cartoon
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
INC
ballooned; ballooning; balloons
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
Phrases
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
Michelle CottleBut 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
David NiceExamples 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
Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
Dozens lined the corner of Food Lane and Longview Road Thursday evening, the crisp fall breeze blowing scores of blue and white balloons.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 24 Oct. 2025
Dennis Romero, NBC News, 18 Feb. 2023
Such releases have been banned in a handful of states and cities, according to the anti-balloon release organization called Balloons Blow.
—Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 20 Apr. 2022
Mira Rapp-Hooper, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
What ostensibly started as a war against the flow of the deadly opioid fentanyl has now ballooned into a far broader clash – spanning rare earths, American soybean exports, technology controls and China’s energy dealings with Russia.
—Jhasua Razo, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for balloon
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Previous airspace violations involving balloons carrying contraband cigarettes caused closures of airspace above Vilnius on October 5 and 21, leading to the cancellation of dozens of flights.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
Dozens lined the corner of Food Lane and Longview Road Thursday evening, the crisp fall breeze blowing scores of blue and white balloons.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
President Joe Biden delivered remarks about the objects Thursday, downplaying the possibility that the non-balloon objects shot down might also be tied to surveillance efforts.
—Dennis Romero, NBC News, 18 Feb. 2023
Such releases have been banned in a handful of states and cities, according to the anti-balloon release organization called Balloons Blow.
—Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 20 Apr. 2022
Verb
On April 2, the president announced an initial tariff rate on China of 34 percent, which ballooned in subsequent days to 125 percent.
—Mira Rapp-Hooper, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
What ostensibly started as a war against the flow of the deadly opioid fentanyl has now ballooned into a far broader clash – spanning rare earths, American soybean exports, technology controls and China’s energy dealings with Russia.
—Jhasua Razo, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for balloon
Cite this Entry
“Balloon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/balloon. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
balloon
1 of 2 noun
bal·loon
bə-ˈlün 
1
: a bag of tough light material filled with heated gas or a gas lighter than air so as to rise and float in the atmosphere and that usually carries a suspended load (as a gondola with passengers)
2
: a toy or decoration consisting of an inflatable bag (as of rubber)
3
: an outline containing words spoken or thought by a character (as in a cartoon)
balloon
2 of 2 verb1
: to go up or travel in a balloon
2
: to swell or puff out
3
: to increase rapidly
ballooning prices
Medical Definition
balloon
1 of 2 noun
bal·loon
bə-ˈlün
: 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
2 of 2 transitive verb
: to inflate or distend like a balloon
: to swell or puff out
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