ballad

noun

ˈba-ləd How to pronounce ballad (audio)
Definition of balladnext
as in song
a short musical composition for the human voice often with instrumental accompaniment a haunting ballad about lost love and loneliness

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 ballad As a result, the concert featured no acoustic sets, no power ballads, no reason for anybody to sit down. — Rodney Ho, AJC.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Kevin Costner, who starred in The Bodyguard, brought the song to composer David Foster, who rearranged it as a pop ballad for Houston. — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 28 Aug. 2026 The soft, soothing sounds of Anne Murray and the over-the-top, emotional ballads of Barbra Streisand had filled our living room and shaped my understanding of female singers. — Lisa Whittington-Hill, Longreads, 27 Aug. 2026 The former served as the famed theme to the film of the same name, in which Parton co-starred, while the latter was her take on the traditional folk ballad. — Xander Zellner, Billboard, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ballad
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ballad
  1. song
  2. hymn
  3. lyric
  4. anthem
  5. vocal
  6. lullaby
Noun
  • Back in 2015, Parton and her team buried a chestnut box filled with physical copies of a brand new song in two formats, cassette and CD, along with their corresponding players, under her Dollywood DreamMore Resort and Spa.
    — Isabelle Farina, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The song, famously written by Parton as an emotional farewell to her mentor Porter Wagoner and his show, topped the country chart in 1974.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of song
Noun
  • The scholar of religion Friedrich Max Müller (1823–1900) noticed that many Vedic hymns praise different deities using the same superlatives and ascribe to them the same mythological feats.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Avie Lee filled the family's two-room home with music by singing hymns, folk songs and traditional mountain music.
    — Devarrick Turner, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of hymn
Noun
  • Writers were impressed by her ability to infuse emotion into lyrics.
    — Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Her lyrics were representative of America throughout different decades, including the changing experiences of women who demanded equality.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of lyric
Noun
  • Dolly Parton, the brilliant songwriter and beloved country singer who has died at age 80, wrote one of the great anthems of the American working class.
    — John Nichols, Washington Post, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The song has endured beyond its controversy as something of an empowerment anthem.
    — Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of anthem
Noun
  • Accompanying the vocals sits an intriguing, rapid-fire, finger-picking guitar, performed in the recording studio by session musician Chip Young.
    — Wendy Hargreaves, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • But, your vocals are on point, your guitar is on point, your look, your energy, your vibe.
    — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of vocal
Noun
  • Gotta be honest, this instrumental version from one of those cover compilations of rock songs done lullaby-style for hipster parents is kind of great.
    — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Reilly, who composed the song wholesale, seems content to swap his Satie-esque irresolution for something straightforwardly plaintive, like a lullaby.
    — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 30 July 2026
Definition of lullaby

Browse Nearby Words

ball
ballad
ballads
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ballad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ballad. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on ballad

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ballad

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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dissonant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
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
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All