ballads

noun

plural of ballad
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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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 ballads Her mother, Avie Lee Parton, ran the household and was fond of singing traditional Appalachian ballads. — Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 25 Aug. 2026 The result is a self-reflective collection of empowering pop anthems and wistful ballads that detail not only the dissolution of a relationship but a return to oneself. — Ilana Kaplan, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026 Up until that point, a lot of people thought that my greatest strength was to sing heartbreak ballads. — Jeffrey Masters, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026 There were hair-metal bands that only had power ballads — Firehouse or some band with 17th century French aristocrat hair. — Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026 The two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee — who’s been honored for his work as a solo artist and a member of Faces — is known for belting out ballads and rock numbers through an unmistake gravelly voice. — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2026 Their videos work as a modern take on the narcocorridos – ballads about the trafficking underworld that drug kingpins used to praise themselves and communicate with each other, said security expert Alexei Chévez. — Rey Rodríguez, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026 Much of Tulu literature and folklore has been preserved through oral tradition, especially epic ballads called paddanas. — Andrew Pereira, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Aug. 2026 Those digital Mellotrons balanced against Wilson’s dry 2000s alt-rock production cast Åkerfeldt’s ballads into a searching, uncanny drift at the outskirts of the metal landscape. — Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 19 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ballads
  1. songs
  2. hymns
  3. lyrics
  4. anthems
  5. vocals
Noun
  • But the biggest legacy Parton leaves is her songwriting, and three songs define her more than any others.
    — Wendy Hargreaves, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Video showed locals draped in Spanish flags, shouting anti-migrant slogans, and singing Spanish songs, torching the camp and throwing migrants’ belongings in the Mediterranean or into bonfires.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of songs
Noun
  • Little Haiti looks ahead On a humid morning in Little Haiti, about a dozen people walked into Notre Dame d’Haiti Catholic Church for Mass, taking Communion and singing hymns in French.
    — Chris Kenning, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Faithful gather to sing hymns and sip Bloody Marys, and a revolving cast of chaplains, including one who once served at the University of Texas chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, lead services.
    — Pam LeBlanc, Southern Living, 20 July 2026
Definition of hymns
Noun
  • Thompson will be joined by singer-songwriter Gary Clark, providing the music, with original lyrics by both her and Clark.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026
  • His creative, direct lyrics and distinctive performance style serve as powerful assets in his bid to win over the public.
    — Tere Aguilera, Billboard, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of lyrics
Noun
  • Dolly Parton, the brilliant songwriter and beloved country singer who has died at age 80, wrote one of the great anthems of the American working class.
    — John Nichols, Washington Post, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The musical features an original score by Christopher Nightingale, Josh Cohen and DJ Walde, drawing on protest anthems, pop, rock, disco and the Welsh choral tradition.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of anthems
Noun
  • Iglesias’s rico suave, international-playboy crooning style found its perfect counterpart in Parton’s fiery vocals.
    — Ernesto Lechner, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2026
  • With his raspy and raw vocals, the young talent sings about his real-life experiences in search of an organic connection with his community.
    — Tere Aguilera, Billboard, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of vocals

Browse Nearby Words

ballad
ballads
ballast
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Cite this Entry

“Ballads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ballads. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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