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 But in keeping with its protagonist’s difficulty staring at his feelings head-on, The Vampire Lestat—and the marketing that preceded its premiere—doesn’t start with ballads or sensual odes to far-reaching love. — Hannah Giorgis Yohannes, Vanity Fair, 13 July 2026 As the group grew in fame and notoriety, their sound evolved, mixing heavy metal with more emotional, dynamic ballads. — Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026 These standout ballads touted a rugged lifestyle with elements of organized crime, which aided his primo’s ascent to the mainstream. — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026 These songs were less detailed than the ballads but conveyed intense emotion gleaned from an often hardscrabble existence. — Ted Olson, The Conversation, 2 July 2026 When the Black Queen’s message arrives in the Riverlands, the king consort, lil’ Oscar Tully, and their new pal Roddy the Ruin are busy reveling, making up ballads dedicated to their own derring-do. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 June 2026 Within the flashy dance numbers and power ballads, American musicals often hold up a mirror to society. — Abraham Swee, USA Today, 29 June 2026 That realization led him to a collection of honky-tonk stompers, highway ballads and intimate character studies. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 23 June 2026 The ballads, though, are where the trumpeter puts on his Harmon mute and things turn magical. — Natalie Weiner, Pitchfork, 19 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ballads
  1. songs
  2. hymns
  3. lyrics
  4. anthems
  5. vocals
Noun
  • Within four days, the trio had completed six songs, adopting a simple philosophy that carried through the entire record.
    — SPIN Staff, SPIN, 17 July 2026
  • Still, James and Ian Felice have been writing songs that have shaped both their peers and younger musicians.
    — Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 17 July 2026
Definition of songs
Noun
  • One of six children, Tyler grew up idolizing Tina Turner and Janis Joplin and singing hymns in the Anglican church her parents attended.
    — Adela Suliman, NBC news, 9 July 2026
  • Many American poets have written hymns and howls, declarations and outcries for this country that brims with so many people, and so many hopes, from all over the world.
    — Scott Simon, NPR, 4 July 2026
Definition of hymns
Noun
  • When Branch wiped her Instagram profile and began posting cryptic photos using lyrics from The Spirit Room, everyone freaked out.
    — Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 15 July 2026
  • In the early days of the war, Union troops from Boston had borrowed the familiar melody of a religious camp meeting song and added new lyrics lionizing John Brown, the leader of the 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia).
    — Steven Johnson, Washington Post, 14 July 2026
Definition of lyrics
Noun
  • Hosted at Hard Rock Northern Indiana, the orchestra will perform a selection of stirring 19th-century anthems by Romantic-era composers.
    — Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026
  • The World Cup doubles as a beauty pageant for each country’s fans, who strut around, sing their anthems, and try their best to look hot, happy, and, above all, passionate.
    — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 7 July 2026
Definition of anthems
Noun
  • Strange Sensation into this world of sharing vocals and working around another singer, adapting to someone else’s vocal style.
    — Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 16 July 2026
  • This soundbar is specifically designed to help clarify dialogue by raising vocals and clearing pronunciation.
    — George Yang, PC Magazine, 15 July 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 18 Jul. 2026.

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