1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

balm

noun

ˈbä(l)m How to pronounce balm (audio)
Definition of balmnext
as in scent
a sweet or pleasant smell the balm of the restaurant's backyard garden enhances the aura of romance

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 balm No more dropping lids on bathroom floors or closing up your lip balm with your foundation lid. — Carin Ryan, Travel + Leisure, 15 Sep. 2026 With 10 years of experience in the beauty industry, my most valuable takeaway thus far is that lightweight balm foundations are more flattering on the skin than matte ones, regardless of your age. — Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 14 Sep. 2026 Brief moments in real places — Theo and Lucy’s apartment, for one — are a balm, and then gone. — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 14 Sep. 2026 So, if someone had a way of turning this global poison into a global ecological and agricultural balm, that’d be good, right? — New Atlas, 13 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for balm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for balm
  1. scent
  2. fragrance
  3. aroma
  4. perfume
Noun
  • Turn To Natural Repellants Natural repellants can erase the pheromone scent trails left behind, which can attract more beetles.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 18 Sep. 2026
  • In fact, memories and scents are so interconnected that it’s widely believed there’s no such thing as a universally appealing smell.
    — Elizabeth Siegel, Allure, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of scent
Noun
  • Masking that smell with fragrance could mean missing a health issue entirely.
    — Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The fragrance-free formula is gentle enough for daily use, with a nongreasy finish that makes consistent application easy.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of fragrance
Noun
  • The barbecue aroma filled the parking lot as the long wait had fans more than ready to watch the Chiefs take the field.
    — Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The aroma filled my nostrils, fighting the overpowering perfume of the flowers that lay in a vivid blanket of color around the gaping grave.
    — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of aroma
Noun
  • Once inside, the store features high ceilings, raw brick, gray terrazzo and metalwork that complements the silk offering as well as the fashion jewelry, perfume, beauty and the men’s and women’s footwear located on the first floor.
    — Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 17 Sep. 2026
  • There was nothing that had escaped being stamped with the Festival’s ubiquitous emblem–sweets, cigarettes, perfume, even sandals–Specially designed to keep you cool and smartly shod for fun-loving Festival walking!
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of perfume

Browse Nearby Words

ballyhoos
balm
balminess
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Balm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balm. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on balm

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about balm

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All