ballast
noun
any heavy material carried temporarily or permanently in a vessel to provide desired draft and stability.
ballasts
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pluralof ballast.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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present tense formof ballast (3rd person singular).present tense
Used to describe things happening now or regularly.
ballastnounany heavy material carried temporarily or permanently in a vessel to provide desired draft and stability.
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.
With no career prospects and their ballasts gone, they were adrift.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
Their strong values-based cultures, deep commitment to their communities, and longer-term investment horizons, act like ballasts on a ship — working together to absorb shocks and navigate through treacherous waters.
From Salon ● Dec. 31, 2024
Emotional Support Water Bottles can serve as psychological ballasts.
From Slate ● Jan. 18, 2024
“Our concern is that PCB ballasts might have been missed when this issue was addressed last year,” wrote Snohomish health inspector Amanda Zych, according to records obtained by The Times.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 23, 2022
Pattie then snapped off the bright fluorescent ballasts.
From "Counting by 7s" by Holly Goldberg Sloan
