balm

American  

[bahm] / bɑm /

noun

• balms
  plural

1. any of various oily, fragrant, resinous substances, often of medicinal value, exuding from certain plants, especially tropical trees of the genus Commiphora.

2. a plant or tree yielding such a substance.

3. any aromatic or fragrant ointment.

   Synonyms:

   emollient, lotion, unguent, salve

4. aromatic fragrance; sweet odor.

   the balm of orange blossoms.

5. any of various aromatic plants of the mint family, especially those of the genus Melissa, as M. officinalis lemonbalm, having ovate lemon-scented leaves used as a seasoning.

6. anything that heals, soothes, or mitigates pain.

   the balm of friendship in troubled times.

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balm British  

/ bɑːm /

noun

1. any of various oily aromatic resinous substances obtained from certain tropical trees and used for healing and soothing See also balsam

2. any plant yielding such a substance, esp the balm of Gilead

3. something comforting or soothing

   soft music is a balm

4. any aromatic or oily substance used for healing or soothing

5. Also called: lemon balm.  an aromatic Eurasian herbaceous plant, Melissa officinalis , having clusters of small fragrant white two-lipped flowers: family Lamiaceae (labiates)

6. a pleasant odour

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• balmlike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• balms
  plural

Etymology

Origin of balm

1175–1225; Middle English basme, ba ( u ) me < Anglo-French basme, bal ( s ) me, ba ( u ) me; Old French < Latin balsamum balsam; with orthographic l pedantically restored

Explanation

If your lips are cracked and dry, lip balm will make them feel better. A balm is a soothing substance with a consistency somewhere between solid and liquid. The ointment-like consistency is part of what the word balm means. It comes down from the word, balsam, which is a gummy substance that comes from trees. You can use the word metaphorically too. If your mother's cooking always makes you feel better no matter how bad things get, you can say her home cooking has been a balm for you in trying times.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

balm balms

Despite how frustrating this sounds, the series develops the relationship between these two in such a way that Mrs. Hall’s return to Skeldale House is a balm for both.

From Salon ● Jun. 20, 2026

Coover’s book is about baseball, but it is really about the escape that baseball—and any other would-be balm to a difficult present—can provide.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026

The desert can be hot and rough, but Giveon’s soothing baritone is a balm capable of healing sunburns and broken hearts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2026

All of that access can feel like a balm for the ever-embattled press, a deserved return to pride of place.

From Slate ● Mar. 18, 2026

When I open my locker to grab my lip balm, I find a red sucker.

From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy

The research, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, analyzed 35 samples of balms and bandages from 19 mummies.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 16, 2026

She said the company is trying to appeal to younger consumers with more offerings such as limited-edition eye-shadow sticks and shimmer balms at low prices.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 1, 2025

Now, nearly a decade and many petitions later, the prodigal wrap returns to the United States with the kind of quiet fanfare usually reserved for cult-favorite lip balms or discontinued sodas.

From Salon ● Jun. 18, 2025

As a result, pharaohs and members of the nobility were adorned with oils, waxes and balms during the mummification process.

From BBC ● Feb. 14, 2025

The shampoos and lotions and balms that used to be at the back of the store I shift to shelves near the pharmacy, so that people filling prescriptions can also buy plasters and ointments.

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline

Related Words

• lotion
• ointment
• potion
• salve