balm

American  

[bahm] / bɑm /

noun

1. any of various oily, fragrant, resinous substances, often of medicinal value, exuding from certain plants, especially tropical trees of the genus Commiphora.

2. a plant or tree yielding such a substance.

3. any aromatic or fragrant ointment.

   Synonyms:

   emollient, lotion, unguent, salve

4. aromatic fragrance; sweet odor.

   the balm of orange blossoms.

5. any of various aromatic plants of the mint family, especially those of the genus Melissa, as M. officinalis lemonbalm, having ovate lemon-scented leaves used as a seasoning.

6. anything that heals, soothes, or mitigates pain.

   the balm of friendship in troubled times.

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balm British  

/ bɑːm /

noun

1. any of various oily aromatic resinous substances obtained from certain tropical trees and used for healing and soothing See also balsam

2. any plant yielding such a substance, esp the balm of Gilead

3. something comforting or soothing

   soft music is a balm

4. any aromatic or oily substance used for healing or soothing

5. Also called: lemon balm.  an aromatic Eurasian herbaceous plant, Melissa officinalis , having clusters of small fragrant white two-lipped flowers: family Lamiaceae (labiates)

6. a pleasant odour

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Other Word Forms

• balmlike
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of balm

1175–1225; Middle English basme, ba ( u ) me < Anglo-French basme, bal ( s ) me, ba ( u ) me; Old French < Latin balsamum balsam; with orthographic l pedantically restored

Explanation

If your lips are cracked and dry, lip balm will make them feel better. A balm is a soothing substance with a consistency somewhere between solid and liquid. The ointment-like consistency is part of what the word balm means. It comes down from the word, balsam, which is a gummy substance that comes from trees. You can use the word metaphorically too. If your mother's cooking always makes you feel better no matter how bad things get, you can say her home cooking has been a balm for you in trying times.

Example Sentences

Haw Par, which owns pain relief brand Tiger Balm, has relatively stable healthcare sales and the analysts expect the company’s 2026-2028 profit at S$276 million-S$292 million, excluding fair-value gains on investments.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

Balming Tiger — the name comes from Tiger Balm, a Singaporean ointment — started out as a party crew, organizing events with DJs around Seoul.

From New York Times • Jan. 30, 2024

Mr. Jiang himself preferred another label: Mr. Tiger Balm, a reference to a soothing Chinese ointment.

From Washington Post • Nov. 30, 2022

For the spiritual “There Is a Balm in Gilead,” Tines broke off to intone like a preacher an incident that had happened the night before as he left the park.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2022

Then there’s a long prayer, about unworthy vessels, then a hymn: “There Is a Balm in Gilead.”

From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood

Related Words

• lotion
• ointment
• potion
• salve