plural balloons
1
: a nonporous bag of light material that can be inflated especially with air or gas: such as
a
: a bag that is filled with heated air or a gas lighter than air so as to rise and float in the atmosphere and that usually carries a suspended load (such as a gondola with passengers)
b
: an inflatable bag (as of rubber or plastic) usually used as a toy or for decoration
c
medical
: a small bag that can be inflated (as in a bodily cavity) with air or gas
More than 700,000 Americans undergo procedures in which clogged arteries are cleared out with a balloon and then propped open with a tiny metal scaffold called a stent.—
Ron Winslow
Ron Winslow2
: the outline enclosing words spoken or thought by a figure especially in a cartoon
1
: relating to, resembling, or suggesting a balloon
a balloon sleeve
2
US
: having or being a final installment that is much larger than preceding ones in a term or installment note
a balloon note
a balloon mortgage
Got a commercial mortgage coming due? If the loan requires a balloon payment (as many such mortgages do), you may have a hard time refinancing …—INC
INC
ballooned; ballooning; balloons
1
: to swell or puff out : expand
ballooned to 200 pounds
2
: to ascend or travel in or as if in a balloon
3
: to increase rapidly
ballooning prices
Phrases
go over like a lead balloon
(US) or British go down like a lead balloon
informal
: to fail completely to impress or amuse other people
Not surprisingly, his overt religiosity has proved a mixed blessing. While probably a winner on the stump, it has gone over like a lead balloon with journalists, liberals, and even many Jewish organizations.—Michelle Cottle
Michelle CottleBut the last time I saw it on stage, in Ned Sherrin's 1996 revival, the dialogue bored me rigid and the whole thing … went down like a lead balloon.—David Nice
David NiceExamples of balloon in a Sentence
Noun
I blew up a balloon but then it burst.
brightly colored balloons and other party decorations
Verb
Their credit card debt ballooned to more than $5,000.
the ballooning costs of education
Recent Examples on the Web
Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 6 May 2025
There's even a whole to-do with Jon Hamm checking in from — wait for it — the inside of a hot air balloon!
—Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 6 May 2025
Dennis Romero, NBC News, 18 Feb. 2023
Such releases have been banned in a handful of states and cities, according to the anti-balloon release organization called Balloons Blow.
—Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 20 Apr. 2022
Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 10 May 2025
While at-home recording has of course ballooned in the digital era as recording equipment has gotten cheaper and higher quality, making a successful commercial album on a six-inch phone screen is another step further.
—Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for balloon
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
This has forced the agency to reduce some services, like weather balloon launches that provide key data to computer models.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 6 May 2025
There's even a whole to-do with Jon Hamm checking in from — wait for it — the inside of a hot air balloon!
—Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 6 May 2025
Adjective
President Joe Biden delivered remarks about the objects Thursday, downplaying the possibility that the non-balloon objects shot down might also be tied to surveillance efforts.
—Dennis Romero, NBC News, 18 Feb. 2023
Such releases have been banned in a handful of states and cities, according to the anti-balloon release organization called Balloons Blow.
—Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 20 Apr. 2022
Verb
Hayden appeared before a Congressional committee earlier in the week, facing questions from a library modernization project whose cost has ballooned while completion deadlines have been repeatedly delayed.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 10 May 2025
While at-home recording has of course ballooned in the digital era as recording equipment has gotten cheaper and higher quality, making a successful commercial album on a six-inch phone screen is another step further.
—Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for balloon
Cite this Entry
“Balloon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/balloon. Accessed 13 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
balloon
1 of 2 noun
bal·loon
bə-ˈlün 
1
: a bag of tough light material filled with heated gas or a gas lighter than air so as to rise and float in the atmosphere and that usually carries a suspended load (as a gondola with passengers)
2
: a toy or decoration consisting of an inflatable bag (as of rubber)
3
: an outline containing words spoken or thought by a character (as in a cartoon)
balloon
2 of 2 verb1
: to go up or travel in a balloon
2
: to swell or puff out
3
: to increase rapidly
ballooning prices
Medical Definition
balloon
1 of 2 noun
bal·loon
bə-ˈlün
: a nonporous bag of tough light material that can be inflated (as in a bodily cavity) with air or gas
gastroesophageal tamponade by introduction of a balloon into the stomach
balloon
2 of 2 transitive verb
: to inflate or distend like a balloon
: to swell or puff out
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