Balder

American

[bawl-der] / ˈbɔl dər /

noun

Scandinavian Mythology.

a god, a son of Odin and Frigg and the twin brother of Hod, by whom he was killed.

Balder British

/ ˈbɔːldə /

noun

Norse myth a god, son of Odin and Frigg, noted for his beauty and sweet nature. He was killed by a bough of mistletoe thrown by the blind god Höd, misled by the malicious Loki

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Balder

< Old Norse Baldr, cognate with Old English bealdor prince, lord; perhaps akin to Old Norse baldr brave

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Balder

Later, John and Paul attempt diabolical accents while relating the story of Count Balder and Felpin Mansions, “the eccentric son of Baron Landsberg, the inventor of the rack,” including a variety of sound effects.

From Salon ● Dec. 23, 2025

He provoked Hoder, the blind god of darkness, to kill Balder, the god of joy and gladness.

From DOGO News ● Oct. 9, 2023

In 2000, Brose paid around $734,000 to the Remembrance, Responsibility and Future Foundation, according to Uwe Balder, a company historian.

From New York Times ● Jun. 29, 2022

Balder the beautiful suffers his strange death, along with the promise of his eventual resurrection.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 13, 2017

Odin knew then that Balder must die, but the other gods believed that Frigga had made him safe.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023