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
Comic pastiche gives way to tender romantic ballads only to explode in musical psychodrama.
—
Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2025
Over his now decade-and-a-half-long career, fans of the alt-pop auteur—real name Mike Hadreas—have only seen his work grow in scale and power, evolving from twinkling piano bedroom ballads to ambitious blasts of sonic splendor that careen through the gray areas between genre.
—Liam Hess, Vogue, 31 Mar. 2025
All our ballads were the opposite, light verses and heavy chorus — it was totally inverted.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2025
Chamberlain also had a brief, yet successful, period as a recording artist, mostly romantic ballads, and was nominated for a Grammy.
—Lucia Suarez Sang, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ballad
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Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2025
Over his now decade-and-a-half-long career, fans of the alt-pop auteur—real name Mike Hadreas—have only seen his work grow in scale and power, evolving from twinkling piano bedroom ballads to ambitious blasts of sonic splendor that careen through the gray areas between genre.
—Liam Hess, Vogue, 31 Mar. 2025
All our ballads were the opposite, light verses and heavy chorus — it was totally inverted.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2025
Chamberlain also had a brief, yet successful, period as a recording artist, mostly romantic ballads, and was nominated for a Grammy.
—Lucia Suarez Sang, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ballad
Cite this Entry
“Ballad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ballad. Accessed 5 Apr. 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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