balls
Britishplural noun
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the testicles
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so as to be rendered powerless
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nonsense; rubbish
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courage; forcefulness
interjection
Usage
Both its anatomical senses and its various extended senses nowadays have far less impact than they used to, and seem unlikely to cause offence, though some older or more conservative people may object. Interestingly, its use in the sense of courage is exactly paralleled in the Spanish term «cojones»
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.
She can rebound and scrap for loose balls too, and with Ariel Atkins reportedly being traded, Rice could play a big role.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026
Some children benefit from knowing cool golf history facts—like how balls are now made with a synthetic rubber core, but they used to be stuffed with feathers.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
That’s what happens when you have a fastball that reaches 100 miles per hour, a disappearing splitter and an array of breaking balls with inconceivable movement.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
However, it says small amounts of mealworms, fat balls and suet – enough for a day or two at most - can still be offered throughout the year.
From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026
I remember the teachers telling us to hold our arms rounded, like we were carrying imaginary beach balls.
From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day
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.
