as in songs
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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Recent Examples of ballads
Performed from a third-person perspective, the perspective of the blues, Nourished by Time spins an old-fashioned yarn about a man working a restaurant job and writing ballads at night.
—
Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2025
The king of romantic ballads made a killing buying and selling property in Indian Creek Village, aka Billionaire Bunker.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2025
Though Ciara speaks about putting her personal life in her music, that doesn’t necessarily mean the project consists of emotional ballads.
—Chris Malone Méndez, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2025
After a year and a half of self-discovery, Sekou tells Billboard that his upcoming nine-song project is a deliberate departure from his previous music, evolving from emotional piano ballads to something more vibrant and upbeat.
—Noah Reardon, Billboard, 18 Aug. 2025
Sonically, the album is adventurous, diving into sounds like trip-hop and electronic while also building classic rock ballads fit for stadiums and arenas.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2025
With a pair of catwalks jutting from the oval stage, the guys roam into the crowd, all while hitting their dance moves, and blending their upbeat pop anthems with the sappier ballads that made them into a heartthrob collective.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2025
But the emotional disconnect is impossible to overcome in a show that's almost entirely sentimental ballads.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Hailing from New Jersey, the singer takes personal experiences and emotions and channels them into ballads and bops for fans to dance to, sing along with, and overall relate to.
—Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 3 Sep. 2019
Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2025
The king of romantic ballads made a killing buying and selling property in Indian Creek Village, aka Billionaire Bunker.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2025
Though Ciara speaks about putting her personal life in her music, that doesn’t necessarily mean the project consists of emotional ballads.
—Chris Malone Méndez, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2025
After a year and a half of self-discovery, Sekou tells Billboard that his upcoming nine-song project is a deliberate departure from his previous music, evolving from emotional piano ballads to something more vibrant and upbeat.
—Noah Reardon, Billboard, 18 Aug. 2025
Sonically, the album is adventurous, diving into sounds like trip-hop and electronic while also building classic rock ballads fit for stadiums and arenas.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2025
With a pair of catwalks jutting from the oval stage, the guys roam into the crowd, all while hitting their dance moves, and blending their upbeat pop anthems with the sappier ballads that made them into a heartthrob collective.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2025
But the emotional disconnect is impossible to overcome in a show that's almost entirely sentimental ballads.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Hailing from New Jersey, the singer takes personal experiences and emotions and channels them into ballads and bops for fans to dance to, sing along with, and overall relate to.
—Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ballads
Noun
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Busta Rhymes also took the stage for a medley of his songs before he was honored with the Rock the Bells Visionary Award.—
Daysia Tolentino,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Sep. 2025
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Interestingly, just like Lisa, BTS have won the Best K-Pop award for songs sung primarily in both Korean and English.—
Jeff Benjamin,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The sanctuary is now missing the familiar sounds of hymns and the children’s voices that once echoed through its halls.—
Emma Tucker,
CNN Money,
31 Aug. 2025
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The music that accompanies her is just as stick-to-the-ribs earthy, dipped in roadhouse soul, folkish hymns, barroom rock, and blues, without sounding like House of Blues nostalgia.—
EW Staff Published,
EW.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
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There are MCs out there that care and who have the utmost desire to bring the best bars, the best lyrics, the best subject matter, the best energy to every song and to every moment.—
Lynnette Nicholas,
Essence,
6 Sep. 2025
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Several other videos dubbing Skrilla's lyrics grew in popularity at the start of 2025.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Kahan, known for his raw anthems, offers more insight into the inner workings of his heart in his lyrics than in public comments.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
-
From crunk anthems to clean eating and calm vibes, Lil Jon continues to redefine himself.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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But O’Brien needed music for the vocals, and her guitar skills didn’t feel like a fit.—
Brittany Spanos,
Rolling Stone,
2 Sep. 2025
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The catchy song features funkadelic basslines, pulsating drums, and their sharp vocals and rap flow.—
Laura Sirikul,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ballads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ballads. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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