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
Examples of ballad in a Sentence
a haunting ballad about lost love and loneliness
Recent Examples on the Web
Maybe, kinda, but only when the tempo slackens for the album’s final two ballads.
—
Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2025
The swoon-worthy ballad is Gaga’s sixth Hot 100 leader and Mars’ ninth.
—Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 27 Jan. 2025
Two decades later, parts of the film may seem cheesy or overwrought (especially the soaring Celine Dion ballads), but goddamn it if you won’t be entertained and even shed a tear when the fiddler literally goes down with the ship.
—Kevin Lincoln, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2025
The soulful ballad charted at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 19 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for ballad 
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Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2025
The swoon-worthy ballad is Gaga’s sixth Hot 100 leader and Mars’ ninth.
—Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 27 Jan. 2025
Two decades later, parts of the film may seem cheesy or overwrought (especially the soaring Celine Dion ballads), but goddamn it if you won’t be entertained and even shed a tear when the fiddler literally goes down with the ship.
—Kevin Lincoln, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2025
The soulful ballad charted at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 19 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for ballad
Dictionary Entries Near ballad
Cite this Entry
“Ballad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ballad. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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