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
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Recent Examples of ballad
Plus, with the unexpected rise of a 2013 acoustic ballad, Cage the Elephant’s audience demographic has changed.
—
Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 9 Sep. 2025
Percussion and a choir imbued the ballad with a pulse, and the gracious Warren quickly turned to clap for the singers at song’s end.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
Her endlessly inventive vocal approach and aching tenderness with ballads earned her a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master designation in 2012.
—Duante Beddingfield, Freep.com, 5 Sep. 2025
The film’s closing credits featured Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey belting out that ballad.
—David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ballad
Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 9 Sep. 2025
Percussion and a choir imbued the ballad with a pulse, and the gracious Warren quickly turned to clap for the singers at song’s end.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
Her endlessly inventive vocal approach and aching tenderness with ballads earned her a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master designation in 2012.
—Duante Beddingfield, Freep.com, 5 Sep. 2025
The film’s closing credits featured Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey belting out that ballad.
—David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ballad
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ballad
Noun
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At the end of their week, campers get a chance to perform their band’s songs live with the stars.—
Jim Clash,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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Why not gather all their best songs to date, tape ‘em in front of an excited fanbase, and give em another shot?—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In between, the camera flashed to the audience and caught Sarah Paulson, Colin Farrell, Jessica Williams, and Michael Urie dancing and singing along to the lyrics.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Sep. 2025
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The title track opens the affair by lurching and creeping forward for ten minutes with odd, off-putting lyrics.—
Jed Gottlieb,
Boston Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The songs themselves drew inspiration from real Shaker hymns from the 1700s.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
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Civil contributes his own piano playing too — notably a Bach hymn that serves as the story’s crowning moment of failure as triumph.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Italian brainrot anthems infest Spotify Viral 50 charts across the world, from Denmark to Sweden to Peru to the Czech Republic.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
10 Sep. 2025
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The honor fell to Rival Son’s majestic vocalist Jay Buchanan, who took the stage barefoot, in a maroon suit, and proceeded to devour the angry rock anthem.—
Joseph Hudak,
Rolling Stone,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Penic plays guitar, and is often content to let Rogelstad perform without his vocals.—
Regina Elling,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Sep. 2025
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The sound leans heavily on the lows but still keeps vocals and highs clear enough for everyday listening.—
Shubham Yewale,
PC Magazine,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Very tricky, because this was a lullaby version of the song, rather than the original one (which opens with a piano sequence).—
Kris Holt,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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Melanie's artistry from Greenwich Village to Woodstock to lullabies For Melanie, creativity occupied the broadest and most all-encompassing spectrum.—
Marcus K. Dowling,
The Tennessean,
21 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ballad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ballad. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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