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

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

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

Their second feature, “The Ballad of the Phoenix,” a medieval fantasy, is already in the works.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2026

Ballad Health, a rural health system in Appalachia, currently has 500 positions in nursing it is trying to fill, due largely to higher demand from patients as they age into Medicare in their 60s.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026

I Swear, Pillion, H is for Hawk and The Ballad of Wallis Island are among the British films which are recognised in Bafta's shortlists.

From BBC • Jan. 27, 2026

Buzz has it that this British comedy is as strange, lovely, droll and surprising as last year’s Sundance premiere “The Ballad of Wallis Island,” a movie I’ve been raving about ever since.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 21, 2026

Out of all the folktales, “The Ballad of John Henry” was my favorite.

From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia

Related Words

• chant
• ditty