ballad

noun

ˈba-ləd How to pronounce ballad (audio)
Definition of balladnext
as in song
a short musical composition for the human voice often with instrumental accompaniment a haunting ballad about lost love and loneliness

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ballad Taylor doffed his signature pageboy cap for a humble bow following the soothing ballad. — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026 The first co-write between Henley and Frey was a bona fide cowboy ballad if cowboys kept grand pianos around campfires. — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 30 Aug. 2026 The track serves as a love ballad to Nwigwe’s wife who is featured in the music video with their children. — Ime Ekpo, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026 Check out The Associated Press' official playlist — from her country songs that challenge traditional gender dynamics to the greatest ballad ever committed to record — and read the stories behind them, here. — ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ballad
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ballad
  1. song
  2. hymn
  3. lyric
  4. anthem
  5. vocal
  6. lullaby
Noun
  • Fans are now allowed to move freely, but not standing for the song can draw scrutiny, such as when Bad Bunny remained seated in the stands as the song played at Game 3 of the 2025 American League Division Series.
    — Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • This is the song’s first award nomination and her first fully country track since the original Red era.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of song
Noun
  • The crowd listened in silence as the Polynesians, wearing blue fire uniforms, sang a Tahitian hymn in harmony while two of them strummed ukuleles.
    — Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The scholar of religion Friedrich Max Müller (1823–1900) noticed that many Vedic hymns praise different deities using the same superlatives and ascribe to them the same mythological feats.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of hymn
Noun
  • The more the lyrics swish around, the more their implications start to weigh.
    — Carlos Valladares, ARTnews.com, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Look up the sexy lyrics, and turn the volume up on the love song, Cancer.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of lyric
Noun
  • In 2016, the former San Francisco 49ers player first sat, then knelt, during the anthem to protest police brutality.
    — Michel Martin, NPR, 9 Sep. 2026
  • While the Champions League anthem was playing — booed, as always, by the Barcelona fans — a sudden downpour came out of the blue.
    — Laia Cervelló Herrero, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of anthem
Noun
  • Parton recorded her vocals for the track in 2022, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Rolling Stone reported.
    — Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026
  • However, expect Take’s vocals to posthumously appear on the album.
    — Michael Saponara, Billboard, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of vocal
Noun
  • Gotta be honest, this instrumental version from one of those cover compilations of rock songs done lullaby-style for hipster parents is kind of great.
    — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Reilly, who composed the song wholesale, seems content to swap his Satie-esque irresolution for something straightforwardly plaintive, like a lullaby.
    — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 30 July 2026
Definition of lullaby

Browse Nearby Words

ball
ballad
ballads
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Cite this Entry

“Ballad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ballad. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on ballad

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ballad

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