ball and chain
Americannoun
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a heavy iron ball fastened by a chain to a prisoner's leg.
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a burdensome restraint.
The steady accumulation of small debts was a ball and chain to his progress.
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Facetious Slang: Often Offensive. a person's spouse or romantic partner, especially a female.
noun
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(formerly) a heavy iron ball attached to a chain and fastened to a prisoner
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a heavy restraint
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slang a wife
Sensitive Note
In the meaning “romantic partner,” this term is consciously used for humorous or playful effect. But it is often perceived as insulting, implying that the partner is a burden or restriction on the other partner.
Etymology
Origin of ball and chain
An Americanism dating back to 1825–35
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.
High prices have hobbled Americans with a ball and chain.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 15, 2025
As time went on, Veasley said her pain became like a ball and chain that got heavier and heavier.
From Salon ● Oct. 9, 2023
Each custom bottle label sported a picture of a cabbage chained to a foot, like a ball and chain, and the words “Brine & Punishment,” a reference to Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment.”
From New York Times ● Sep. 22, 2022
New monuments have gone up elsewhere, including Brown University’s Slavery Memorial sculpture - a partially buried ball and chain - and the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers under construction at the University of Virginia.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 14, 2019
The moment the Tower came into view, a whole new weight added itself to the ball and chain of terror I was dragging behind me.
From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
