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View synonyms for

ballad

[ bal-uhd ]

noun

  1. any light, simple song, especially one of sentimental or romantic character, having two or more stanzas all sung to the same melody.
  2. a simple narrative poem of folk origin, composed in short stanzas and adapted for singing.
  3. any poem written in similar style.
  4. the music for a ballad.
  5. a sentimental or romantic popular song.


ballad

/ ˈæə /

noun

  1. a narrative song with a recurrent refrain
  2. a narrative poem in short stanzas of popular origin, originally sung to a repeated tune
  3. a slow sentimental song, esp a pop song
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

ballad

1
  1. A simple narrative song, or, alternatively, a narrative poem suitable for singing. ( See under “Conventions of Written English.” )

ballad

2
  1. A simple narrative song, or a narrative poem suitable for singing. The ballad usually has a short stanza , such as:

    There are twelve months in all the year,

    As I hear many men say,

    But the merriest month in all the year

    Is the merry month of May.

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Other Word Forms

  • ·· [b, uh, -, lad, -ik], adjective
  • l· adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of ballad1

1350–1400; Middle English balade < Middle French < Old Provençal balada dance, dancing-song, equivalent to bal ( ar ) to dance (< Late Latin ; ball 2 ) + -ada -ade 1
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Word History and Origins

Origin of ballad1

C15: from Old French balade , from Old Provençal balada song accompanying a dance, from balar to dance, from Late Latin ; see ball ²
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

He also brought out Alex Warren to sing his gloopy ballad “Ordinary” and to premiere a new duet between the two of them called “Oh My Brother.”

From

It's an album of stunning poetic clarity and emotion – typified by the title track, an old-time country-rock ballad inspired by her love of detective novels.

From

Highlights include The Curse, a stadium-sized ballad about using alcohol as an emotional crutch; and closing track The Deep Blue Okay, where she eventually finds a modicum of inner peace.

From

In the converted barn's main room, Elizabethan ballads drifted through smoke-thick air as someone scattered chrysanthemum petals across a sheepskin rug.

From

Those moments include The Curse, a rousing ballad about using alcohol to dull her anxiety, which is possibly the best song Self Esteem's ever written.

From

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