ballast

noun

Definition of ballastnext
as in cargo
heavy material (such as rocks or water) that is put on a ship to make it steady or on a balloon to control its height in the air
—often used figuratively A large amount of ballast kept the boat from capsizing. She provided the ballast the family needed in times of stress.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Thesaurus Entries Near ballast

ballads

ballast

ballasts

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Ballast.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ballast. Accessed 8 Feb. 2023.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on ballast

Nglish: Translation of ballast for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of ballast for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ballast

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of despot

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

Fashionable Words

  • dog-sunglasses-scarf
  • Which of these items is named for a deadly weapon?
True or False

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can with using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

Can you make 12 words with 7 letters?

PLAY
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games