ballad
[ bal-uh d ]
/ ˈbæl əd /
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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Nearby words
Origin of ballad
Related formsbal·lad·ic [buh-lad-ik] /bəˈlæd ɪk/, adjectivebal·lad·like, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples 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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Word Origin and History for ballad
ballad
late 15c., from French ballade "dancing song" (13c.), from Old Provençal ballada "(poem for a) dance," from balar "to dance," from Late Latin ballare "to dance" (see ball (n.2)).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Culture 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.
Culture 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.