balloon

1 of 3

noun

bal·loon bə-ˈlün

plural balloons

Synonyms of balloon next

: a nonporous bag of light material that can be inflated especially with air or gas: such as

: 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)

: an inflatable bag (as of rubber or plastic) usually used as a toy or for decoration

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

: the outline enclosing words spoken or thought by a figure especially in a cartoon

balloon

2 of 3

adjective

: relating to, resembling, or suggesting a balloon

a balloon sleeve

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

balloon

3 of 3

verb

ballooned; ballooning; balloons

intransitive verb

: to swell or puff out : expand

ballooned to 200 pounds

: to ascend or travel in or as if in a balloon

: to increase rapidly

ballooning prices

transitive verb

: inflate, increase

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

But 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

Example Sentences

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

Noun

Over an eight-day period, the balloon flew from Alaska to South Carolina, stirring up outrage and calls to shoot it down. —

Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 15 Mar. 2023 The predator eye balloon is meant to mimic a predator, such as an owl. —

oregonlive, 11 Mar. 2023 The balloon was a People's Republic of China asset, according to U.S. officials. —

Luke Barr, ABC News, 8 Mar. 2023 And perhaps that made the hype for this special feel special: All that helium inside the balloon. —

Helena Andrews-dyer, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2023 Unusual Cases On rare occasions wolf packs do balloon in size. —

Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 28 Feb. 2023 Jessica revealed to Hollywood Life that the procedures, which totaled over $80,000, included liposuction, a gastric balloon, veneers, highlights and more. —

Sophie Dodd, Peoplemag, 22 Feb. 2023 In 2013, a ten-foot-tall orange balloon dog sculpture sold for almost $60 million. —

Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Feb. 2023 While most of the United States was transfixed by the story of a Chinese reconnaissance balloon flying over much of the country, a story involving Communist China with more far-reaching implications was occurring one continent to the south. —

Daniel Markind, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2023

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

There were great Knick players who followed Reed, including Ewing, and in the decades after Reed last graced the hardwood, the sport’s global popularity and player salaries have continued to balloon. —

Christian Red, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2023 Costs could balloon for Mars Sample Recovery: The samples already collected by Mars rover Perseverance still have a lot of moving parts that need to make it to the Red Planet before they can be flown back to Earth. —

Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2023 Why Trust Us? With software size continuing to balloon, many programs take up gigabytes of memory. —

Sascha Brodsky, Popular Mechanics, 15 Feb. 2023 That would Trump-proof the trans-Atlantic alliance, keeping it strong no matter who occupies the Oval Office, and perhaps prevent the defense budget from continuing to balloon ever higher. —

Matthew Duss, The New Republic, 4 Jan. 2023 Commission officials expect that number to balloon to 350,000 annual visitors with the addition of the tunnel. —

Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Nov. 2022 For proof see the many exciting denim trends that have recently emerged, from cargo jeans to balloon pants and double-waisted denim. —

Irina Grechko, refinery29.com, 13 Oct. 2022 Legal cannabis sales reached $19 billion in 2020, and are expected to balloon to $41 billion by 2025, according to the Wall Street research firm Cowen. —

Karina Elwood, Washington Post, 26 Aug. 2022 Scoring the Apple contract was a game changer for TSMC, helping balloon the company’s share price 600% from 2011 to today. —

Eamon Barrett, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2023 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'balloon.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French ballon large football, balloon, from Italian dialect ballone large football, augmentative of balla ball, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German balla ball — more at ball

First Known Use

Noun

1783, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1784, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1784, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of balloon was in 1783

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Balloon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/balloon. Accessed 28 Mar. 2023.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

balloon

1 of 2 noun

bal·loon bə-ˈlün

: 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)

: a toy or decoration consisting of an inflatable bag (as of rubber)

: an outline containing words spoken or thought by a character (as in a cartoon)

balloon

2 of 2 verb

: to go up or travel in a balloon

: to swell or puff out

: 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

intransitive verb

: to swell or puff out

Legal Definition

balloon

adjective

bal·loon

: being or having a final installment that is much larger than preceding ones in an installment or term loan

a balloon payment

Note: In contrast to an amortized loan, a balloon loan is generally repaid in periodic payments of interest and a large, lump sum payment of principal at the end of the term.