balling
Americanverb
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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.
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Informal. present participle of ball, in the sense of playing basketball.
Y’all remember those summers we spent ballin on the court shooting threes?
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Slang: Vulgar. present participle of ball, in the sense of having sexual intercourse.
adjective
Etymology
Origin of balling
First recorded in 1660–70; ball 2 ( def. ) + -ing 1 ( def. ); 1990–95 balling for def. 2, ball 1 ( def. ) + -ing 1 ( def. ); 1960–65 balling for def. 3, ball 1 ( def. ) + -ing 1 ( def. )
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.
My hands ached from balling them so tightly.
From Literature
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Mommy moaned, slapping her forehead, then balling her fists.
From Literature
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I asked, balling my fists at my sides.
From Literature
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At first, I thought someone had died in our family until I noticed Minerva eye- balling me as if to say, watch what you say, girl.
From Literature
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“I am too old. Too old for you to do this to me,” Mariam said, balling up fistfuls of her dress so tightly her hands shook.
From Literature
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.