ballad

American  

[bal-uhd] / ˈbæl əd /

noun

• ballads
  plural

1. any light, simple song, especially one of sentimental or romantic character, having two or more stanzas all sung to the same melody.

2. a simple narrative poem of folk origin, composed in short stanzas and adapted for singing.

3. any poem written in similar style.

4. the music for a ballad.

5. a sentimental or romantic popular song.

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ballad British  

/ ˈbæləd /

noun

1. a narrative song with a recurrent refrain

2. a narrative poem in short stanzas of popular origin, originally sung to a repeated tune

3. a slow sentimental song, esp a pop song

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ballad ¹ Cultural  

1. A simple narrative song, or a narrative poem suitable for singing. The ballad usually has a short stanza, such as:

   There are twelve months in all the year,

   As I hear many men say,

   But the merriest month in all the year

   Is the merry month of May.

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ballad ² Cultural  

1. A simple narrative song, or, alternatively, a narrative poem suitable for singing. (See under “Conventions of Written English.”)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• balladic
  adjective
• balladlike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• ballads
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of ballad

1350–1400; Middle English balade < Middle French < Old Provençal balada dance, dancing-song, equivalent to bal ( ar ) to dance (< Late Latin ballāre; see ball ²) + -ada -ade ¹

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Explanation

A ballad is a song that tells a story, and it can be dramatic, funny, or romantic. You can find ballads in a variety of musical styles, from country-western to rock n' roll. The ballad is an old musical form. Ballads are often by anonymous composers, passed down from generation to generation. You may know “The Ballad of Jesse James," about the notorious bank robber, which dates from the 1880s and has been recorded by everybody from Woody Guthrie to Springsteen. A ballad can also be a slow, romantic song, the kind of thing crooners like Johnny Mathis and Bing Crosby made famous. The word ballad comes from medieval French balade, a dancing song.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ballad ballads

Grammy winner Dean’s mellow love ballad “I’ve Seen It” is at the center of a copyright infringement case brought by the music group that oversees Withers’ catalog.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026

Fortunately the plot’s fairly predictable turns—the climax is a funny sing-off between Paulina and Ericka during a performance of the Whitney Houston power ballad “The Greatest Love of All”—are softened by the purely pleasurable performances.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

The crowd erupted as the opening chant of Bang Bang Bang echoed before the band even walked out, while their iconic 2008 ballad Haru Haru produced a massive stadium-wide singalong.

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026

Mr. Prieto’s ballad “Gently Trapped” highlights the transparent beauty and elegant phrasing of his flute playing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

He looks like a faerie lover stepped out of a ballad, the kind where no good comes to the girl who runs away with him.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

The Irish band takes a major step forward with its fifth LP, which ranges from sinister goth sounds and reflective ballads to hard-charging anthems.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

The film is directed by David Ayer, a purveyor of wild action flicks and ballads of masculinity; the screenplay is the debut effort of Cameron Alexander.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026

Some of the ballads feel like instrumental renditions of soul classics.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026

The new Whigs record is a strong collection of material that stands solidly amongst the existing catalog of v2 Whigs albums, with big rockers, piano ballads, and tape loops neatly nestled against guitar feedback.

From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026

They had songs we could dance to at family parties, and ballads that could send you into a black hole of sadness.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi

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Related Words

• chant
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