balling

[ baw-lin ]

/ ˈbɔ lɪn /

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verb

Slang. living a lavish, flashy, or extravagant lifestyle, especially spending freely while partying: It’s not fair that he’s out ballin’ in the club while she’s home taking care of their kids.

Informal. present participle of ball¹, in the sense of playing basketball: Y’all remember those summers we spent ballin on the court shooting threes?

Slang: Vulgar. present participle of ball¹, in the sense of having sexual intercourse.

adjective Slang.

lavish, flashy, or extravagant: He really doesn’t have the kind of money to keep up this balling lifestyle.

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Also ball·in’, ball·in .

Origin of balling

First recorded in 1660–70 from ball² + -ing¹ (in sense “to live a lavish lifestyle”); in 1960–65 (from ball¹ in sense “to have sexual intercourse,” or ball² in sense “to have a thoroughly good time” + -ing¹ ); in 1990–95 from ball¹ + -ing¹ (in sense “to play basketball”)

Words nearby balling

ball handling, ball hawk, ball hockey, ballicatter, ball ice, balling, Balliol, ballism, ballista, ballistic, ballistic camera

How to use balling in a sentence

Drake extended the ball across the goal line and lost possession of it as his arm and the ball hit the turf.
Kyler Murray runs out of miracles as Seahawks hang on to take over first place in NFC West|Mark Maske|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
Oubre is a capable starter, but he can’t replicate Thompson’s elite shooting and on-ball defense.
NBA free agency tracker (plus trades): Warriors acquire Kelly Oubre; 76ers trade Al Horford to Thunder|Ben Golliver|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
Ball and D’Angelo Russell are both creative playmakers and poor defenders who don’t bring much to the table when they move off the ball.
NBA free agency tracker (plus trades): Warriors acquire Kelly Oubre; 76ers trade Al Horford to Thunder|Ben Golliver|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
If you’re thinking about your stance and your footwork, by the time the ball gets snapped, you’re going to get beat.
Washington is now down to its fourth option at left tackle: Right tackle Morgan Moses|Nicki Jhabvala|November 19, 2020|Washington Post

On a Zoom call that lasted for almost two hours, Matalon warned him to not talk over the snap of the ball or referees announcing penalties, and to stay away from vague references to jargon like “cover-two” without explaining what they mean.
Inside Aqib Talib’s ‘raw’ but ‘real’ NFL announcing debut|Les Carpenter|November 19, 2020|Washington Post
So he and his partner, Zack Simpson, did what they do so well: started spit-balling some game theory around politics.
How to Fight Corruption With Game Theory|Mark McKinnon|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Yezidis play a sort of basketball game here, balling cloth up and tossing it onto the top of the mound.
Fighting Back With Faith: Inside the Yezidis’ Iraqi Temple|Michael Luongo|August 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We were sort of spit-balling off of each other to find out who Anna was.
Interview: Kristen Bell, Voiceover Queen, On ‘Frozen,’ ‘Veronica Mars,’ & More|Andrew Romano|December 18, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Spit-balling from weeds identified only by a screen name is just, well...so Republican.
West Virginia. Sigh.|Michael Tomasky|June 19, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The "balling" of this sponge into three loaves is a task that occupies from ten to fifteen minutes.
The Iron Puddler|James J. Davis
They did not fall in love with him, nor he with them, but a morning was spent very pleasantly in snow-balling in the back garden.
The Longest Journey|E. M. Forster
Then somebody threw a snow-ball, and in a trice the entire crowd were snow-balling Ferris as furiously as they could.
The Missing Tin Box|Arthur M. Winfield
Several of our attendants dismounted and began a snow-balling match,—a wintry scene which reminded me of my fatherland.
A Visit to the Holy Land, Egypt, and Italy|Ida Pfeiffer
If nothing hinders the balling and shingling, these operations will not consume more than fifteen minutes.
Scientific American, Vol. XXXIX.No. 6. [New Series.], August 10, 1878|Various