ballad

noun

bal·​lad ˈba-ləd 

1

a

: a narrative composition in rhythmic verse suitable for singing

a ballad about King Arthur

b

: an art song accompanying a traditional ballad

2

: a simple song : air

3

: a popular song

especially : a slow romantic or sentimental song

a ballad they danced to at their wedding reception

balladic

bə-ˈla-dik 

ba-

adjective

Synonyms

• ditty
• jingle
• lay
• lyric
• song
• vocal

Examples of ballad in a Sentence

a haunting ballad about lost love and loneliness

Recent Examples on the Web

Speaking to Billboard earlier this year, frontman Grian Chatten discussed the creative leap the band took on Romance, which expands its sound to include elements of nu-metal, pop and string-laden ballads. —Thomas Smith, Billboard, 5 Nov. 2024

The day the cast sang the ballad in episode two was really powerful. —Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Nov. 2024

Agatha All Along’s final two episodes establish how, right up until Agatha and Billy’s coven sang the ballad together and created a doorway, the Witches’ Road never truly existed. —Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 1 Nov. 2024

But once the writers' room came to the ideas of the Witches' Road being a long con and the ballad never working as an actual spell, the new puzzle box with Billy came into focus. —Nick Romano, EW.com, 1 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English balad, balade, ballade, balett "poem or song in stanza form, poem or stanza in rhyme royal or a similar form," borrowed from Middle French balade, going back to Old French barade, balade "song to be danced to, short poem to be sung," borrowed from Old Occitan ballada, from ballar "to dance" (going back to Late Latin ballāre) + -ada -ade — more at ball entry 3

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing ballad

• ballad stanza

Kids Definition

ballad

noun

bal·​lad ˈbal-əd 

1

: a poem that tells a story of adventure, of romance, or of a hero, that is suitable for singing, and that usually has stanzas of four lines with a rhyme on the second and fourth lines

2

: a simple song

3

: a usually slow or sentimental popular song