Showing results for "baller"

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Slang dictionary results for baller.

baller

American  

[baw-ler] / ˈbɔ lər /

noun

• ballers
  plural

1. Slang. Also balla

   1. a successful person who has or earns a lot of money and lives a lavish, flashy, or extravagant lifestyle.

      I busted out my newly tailored suit and rolled in there like a baller, or at least I tried my best to.

      He’s a real baller now, upgrading from a bachelor pad to a penthouse.

   2. someone who is proficient at playing ball, especially basketball.

      She'll be taking her talents, as a baller and a student, to Davidson College this fall.

2. a tool that makes, scoops, or winds things into balls (used in combination).

   Using a melon baller, scoop out the inside of the apples, taking care to create a shell of even thickness.

   Just for kicks, they balled socks in a mechanical sock baller and shot them across the room.

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adjective

1. Slang. Also balla great or excellent, especially in a flashy or stylish way.

   I'd never been inside that club before, and the place is baller—it’s going to blow you away.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• ballers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of baller

First recorded in 1580–90, ball ¹ ( def. ) + -er ¹ ( def. ) (in general sense “ball player”); in 1825–35 baller for def. 2, ball ¹ ( def. ) + -er ¹ ( def. ) (in sense “tool or scoop”); in 1985–90 baller for def. 1b, shortening of (basket)ball ( def. ) + -er ¹ ( def. ); in 1990–95 baller for def. 3, in adjective sense “great, excellent”; perhaps from ball ¹ ( def. ) + -er ¹ ( def. ), or from ball ² ( def. ) + -er ¹ ( def. ), the spelling balla representing an African-American Vernacular pronunciation

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

baller ballers

In terms of what makes a baller, Ndiaye says it's simple.

From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2025

When the towering baller arrived at the Sony scoring stage, John said: “I hope that you like what I’ve written.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2025

Who knew Finney-Smith would be such a baller?

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2025

“As a teammate and mentor, a mother and wife, a baller, broadcaster, and businesswoman she has inspired countless young people, both boys and girls, to chase and achieve their dreams.”

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 28, 2024

Charlise is a baller who’s been accepted to Duke on a basketball scholarship.

From "Pride" by Ibi Zoboi

Unrivaled directly challenges the systemic disparities that have historically hindered not only female ballers but women’s sports at large.

From Salon ● Mar. 14, 2025

They’re 16-year-old ballers at Don Bosco Tech, where Benitez studies 3D animation and the other two are learning architecture, construction and engineering.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2023

The World War Two veteran agreed to put together a crack squad of ballers and named his new franchise in honour of General Eisenhower.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2023

They were foul-filled matchups at the end of the 1990s, better fit for brawlers than ballers, and beautiful to watch only for someone who loves ferocious competition like Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau.

From Washington Times ● Apr. 29, 2023

“We can’t all be ballers like Dray and your aunt Jo.”

From "American Street" by Ibi Zoboi