balloon

American  

[buh-loon] / bəˈlun /

noun

1. a bag made of thin rubber or other light material, usually brightly colored, inflated with air or with some lighter-than-air gas and used as a children's plaything or as a decoration.

2. a bag made of a light material, as silk or plastic, filled with heated air or a gas lighter than air, designed to rise and float in the atmosphere and often having a car or gondola attached below for carrying passengers or scientific instruments.

3. (in drawings, cartoons, etc.) a balloon-shaped outline enclosing words represented as issuing from the mouth of the speaker.

4. an ornamental ball at the top of a pillar, pier, or the like.

5. a large, globular wineglass.

6. Chemistry Now Rare. a round-bottomed flask.

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verb (used without object)

1. to go up or ride in a balloon.

2. to swell or puff out like a balloon.

3. to multiply or increase at a rapid rate.

   Membership has ballooned beyond all expectations.

verb (used with object)

1. to fill with air; inflate or distend (something) like a balloon.

adjective

1. puffed out like a balloon.

   balloon sleeves.

2. Finance. (of a loan, mortgage, or the like) having a payment at the end of the term that is much bigger than previous ones.

balloon British  

/ bəˈluːn /

noun

1. an inflatable rubber bag of various sizes, shapes, and colours: usually used as a plaything or party decoration

2. a large impermeable bag inflated with a lighter-than-air gas, designed to rise and float in the atmosphere. It may have a basket or gondola for carrying passengers, etc See also barrage balloon hot-air balloon

3. a circular or elliptical figure containing the words or thoughts of a character in a cartoon

4. 1. a kick or stroke that propels a ball high into the air

   2. ( as modifier )

      a balloon shot

5. chem a round-bottomed flask

6. a large rounded brandy glass

7. commerce

   1. a large sum paid as an irregular instalment of a loan repayment

   2. ( as modifier )

      a balloon loan

8. surgery

   1. an inflatable plastic tube used for dilating obstructed blood vessels or parts of the alimentary canal

   2. ( as modifier )

      balloon angioplasty

9. informal to be completely unsuccessful or unpopular

10. informal when the trouble or action begins

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verb

1. (intr) to go up or fly in a balloon

2. (intr) to increase or expand significantly and rapidly

   losses ballooned to £278 million

3. to inflate or be inflated; distend; swell

   the wind ballooned the sails

4. (tr) to propel (a ball) high into the air

balloon Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing balloon

• go over (like a lead balloon)
• trial balloon

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Other Word Forms

• balloon-like
  adjective
• ballooning
  noun
• balloonist
  noun
• balloonlike
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of balloon

1570–80; < Upper Italian ballone, equivalent to ball ( a ) (< Langobardic; see ball ¹) + -one augmentative suffix; or < Middle French ballon < Upper Italian

Explanation

A balloon is a colorful bit of rubber that can be blown up or filled with helium. Many children's parties are decorated with balloons. While most balloons are round, they come in many sizes and shapes. Balloon artists twist long, thin balloons together to form animals, hats, and other items, and Mylar balloons are made from a kind of thin, metallic paper. Much larger balloons include hot air balloons and weather balloons. In the 1500s, balloon was a game played with a leather ball, from the Italian pallone, "large ball."

Example Sentences

Stevenson is a businessman and owns the Stone Balloon college bar near the University of Delaware.

From BBC • Feb. 3, 2026

Panahi has won a host of prizes at European film festivals and showcased his debut film "The White Balloon" in Cannes in 1995 which won an award for best first feature.

From Barron's • Dec. 1, 2025

That appearance, part of a parody of the online dating show “Pop the Balloon or Find Love,” also featured musical guest GloRilla and frequent Chappelle collaborator Donnell Rawlings as his characters Beautiful and Ashy Larry.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 19, 2025

And in 2018, in a highly theatrical piece of performance art, the artist staged a live destruction of his stencil Girl with Balloon at Sotheby's auction house - moments after it was sold for £1m.

From BBC • Aug. 13, 2024

It looked like Dr. Zinchenko had instructed her video artists to run a Balloon Fiesta simulation for the final day of the Library Olympics.

From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein

Related Words

• enlarge
• expand
• inflate
• swell