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
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Recent Examples of ballad
In a similar vein, Malloy’s musical score is almost anonymously eclectic — wistful ballads, stomping pop, a smattering of EDM — but threaded through with enough strains of Russian folk and klezmer to suggest a sense of place.
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Houman Barekat, New York Times, 23 Dec. 2024
The song is an Irish folk-style ballad and was written as a duet.
—Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 22 Dec. 2024
The ballad hits particularly hard for anyone who’s lost a loved one too soon; Clapton wrote it in honor of his son who passed away.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 17 Dec. 2024
Singing over gruff hip-hop beats and ethereal minimalist ballads, the Argentine singer weaves a provocative tale of self-discovery with diaristic lyrics that excavate self-acceptance, intense romance and emotional maturity.
—Pamela Avila, USA TODAY, 19 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ballad 
Houman Barekat, New York Times, 23 Dec. 2024
The song is an Irish folk-style ballad and was written as a duet.
—Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 22 Dec. 2024
The ballad hits particularly hard for anyone who’s lost a loved one too soon; Clapton wrote it in honor of his son who passed away.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 17 Dec. 2024
Singing over gruff hip-hop beats and ethereal minimalist ballads, the Argentine singer weaves a provocative tale of self-discovery with diaristic lyrics that excavate self-acceptance, intense romance and emotional maturity.
—Pamela Avila, USA TODAY, 19 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ballad
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ballad
Noun
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Fairy tales, rom-coms and love songs often inundate us with the idea that true love is effortless, as 2014 research from Psychology of Women Quarterly explains.Mark Travers, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025
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Ariana Grande is opening up about a new song from the upcoming Wicked sequel.Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 12 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Ethel Cain: Perverts [Daughters of Cain] Ethel Cain found unlikely pop fandom with Preacher’s Daughter, her 2022 debut album, thanks to its emotional dirges and heavy lyrics.Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 10 Jan. 2025
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The setup feels like karaoke, with Buck cueing backing tracks, but there is no lyrics screen to lean on.Maxwell Williams, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The centennial of Baldwin’s birth, this past year, saw no shortage of hymns, modulating the key to minor and rendering the arrangements slightly discordant.Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 28 Dec. 2024
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The Salvation Army led hymns under the supervision of the jail chaplain.Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 26 Dec. 2024
Noun
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By the time Newcastle made their return to the Champions League and the anthem blared out at the San Siro, in a cacophony of noise and emotion, everyone briefly became Murphy.George Caulkin, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025
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Like Jones himself, who produced the record, the perennial Halloween anthem was a multi-media affair, encompassing music, film, television, dance and fashion.Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 4 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Their debut album, Dummy, blended sultry vocals, eerie samples, and the influence of film composers such as John Carpenter, Lalo Schifrin and Ennio Morricone.Darryn King, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025
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Fans were blown away by Audrey's vocals and couldn't help but draw comparisons to her mom.Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 31 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Twain chose to write a lullaby to commemorate his adult daughter, which Stephen recites to himself wading waist-high in the Ligurian Sea.Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 18 Oct. 2024
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Luckily, a lullaby by her mom is filled with magic that sends her off into a slumber filled with adventurous dreams.Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 5 Sep. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near ballad
Cite this Entry
“Ballad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ballad. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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