ballad
[ bal-uhd ]
/ ˈbæl əd /
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noun
any light, simple song, especially one of sentimental or romantic character, having two or more stanzas all sung to the same melody.
a simple narrative poem of folk origin, composed in short stanzas and adapted for singing.
any poem written in similar style.
the music for a ballad.
a sentimental or romantic popular song.
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Which one of these commonly confused words can act as an adverb or a pronoun?
Origin of ballad
OTHER WORDS FROM ballad
bal·lad·ic [buh-lad-ik], /bəˈlæd ɪk/, adjectivebal·lad·like, adjectiveWords nearby ballad
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for ballad
British Dictionary definitions for ballad
ballad
/ (ˈbæləd) /
noun
a narrative song with a recurrent refrain
a narrative poem in short stanzas of popular origin, originally sung to a repeated tune
a slow sentimental song, esp a pop song
Word Origin for ballad
C15: from Old French balade, from Old Provençal balada song accompanying a dance, from balar to dance, from Late Latin ballāre; see ball ²
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Cultural definitions for ballad (1 of 2)
ballad
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.
Cultural definitions for ballad (2 of 2)
ballad
A simple narrative song, or, alternatively, a narrative poem suitable for singing. (See under “Conventions of Written English.”)
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.