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
On the last Unusual Tuesday of April, Zabaglio performed soft electric-indie ballads to a roar of applause as the first act of the night.
—
Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
Devin Archer richly interprets Emile’s romantic ballads, French accent and all, while Cindy Chang brings some honest dignity to Bloody Mary and Anthony Maggio’s Cabel goes far beyond the standard-issue tenor.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
From Croatian folk and Czech power ballads to Serbian prog-metal and Swedish techno, here’s a look at the runners and riders from worst to best.
—Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 11 May 2026
Not that the album can really be divided into ballads and rockers.
—Brendan Hay, SPIN, 27 Apr. 2026
His silky ballads are uniformly thoughtful and well-constructed, but lack the pathos that would give them greater depth and dimension.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Such is the case for Phil Collins, Madonna, Beyoncé and Billy Joel, who all used the experience of parenthood to inspire some of our favorite ballads and pop tunes that have stood the test of time.
—Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026
The ballads speak about love, but from a relaxed place.
—Adelle Platon, VIBE.com, 22 Apr. 2026
That success — as well as surviving his own murder attempt — has sparked a nationwide infatuation of Harfuch, which includes merchandise and popular ballads praising him.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 13 Apr. 2026
Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
Devin Archer richly interprets Emile’s romantic ballads, French accent and all, while Cindy Chang brings some honest dignity to Bloody Mary and Anthony Maggio’s Cabel goes far beyond the standard-issue tenor.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
From Croatian folk and Czech power ballads to Serbian prog-metal and Swedish techno, here’s a look at the runners and riders from worst to best.
—Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 11 May 2026
Not that the album can really be divided into ballads and rockers.
—Brendan Hay, SPIN, 27 Apr. 2026
His silky ballads are uniformly thoughtful and well-constructed, but lack the pathos that would give them greater depth and dimension.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Such is the case for Phil Collins, Madonna, Beyoncé and Billy Joel, who all used the experience of parenthood to inspire some of our favorite ballads and pop tunes that have stood the test of time.
—Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026
The ballads speak about love, but from a relaxed place.
—Adelle Platon, VIBE.com, 22 Apr. 2026
That success — as well as surviving his own murder attempt — has sparked a nationwide infatuation of Harfuch, which includes merchandise and popular ballads praising him.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 13 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ballads
Noun
-
The show is designed to teach life skills through music, from trying new veggies to winding down for bed, with songs and content that have become a go-to resource for millions of parents looking to learn and bond with their children.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
-
In fact, she’s been struggling to write songs for several years due to the traumatic experience of being raped in high school.—
Katie Mannion,
PEOPLE,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
The service of hymns and prayer will be followed by a memorial roll call of members of the armed services who died in active duty.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 May 2026
-
The result, a collaboration with Joseph Shirley — whose composer credits include The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett and Creed III — is a beautiful, winding soundtrack that weaves between whistling, clapping Americana, gospel-like hymns and spiritual delta blues.—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
Rob turtled inside the plastic covering while viewers heard a soundtrack of tritely soulful country lyrics about being a house of cards that’s about to break.—
Anna Peele,
Vanity Fair,
14 May 2026
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Frank Sinatra would never have allowed that monster in the White House to use his music or put his lyrics in his mouth.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
She is scheduled to perform new songs from her 12th studio album and some of her classic anthems.—
Carlos Rico,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 May 2026
-
In that time, the band took a break from making radio-ready anthems and split from their major label.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
Electric guitars and chanting vocals form the basis of that sound.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
23 May 2026
-
Recorded in Oxford, Mississippi over the course of a week, the record features a backing band of Josh Halper, Nick Corson, and MJ Lenderman, the latter of whom tackles drums, guitar, and backing vocals.—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ballads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ballads. Accessed 26 May. 2026.
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