ballad

noun

ˈba-ləd How to pronounce ballad (audio)
Definition of balladnext
as in song
a short musical composition for the human voice often with instrumental accompaniment a haunting ballad about lost love and loneliness

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ballad As a result, the concert featured no acoustic sets, no power ballads, no reason for anybody to sit down. — Rodney Ho, AJC.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Kevin Costner, who starred in The Bodyguard, brought the song to composer David Foster, who rearranged it as a pop ballad for Houston. — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 28 Aug. 2026 The soft, soothing sounds of Anne Murray and the over-the-top, emotional ballads of Barbra Streisand had filled our living room and shaped my understanding of female singers. — Lisa Whittington-Hill, Longreads, 27 Aug. 2026 The former served as the famed theme to the film of the same name, in which Parton co-starred, while the latter was her take on the traditional folk ballad. — Xander Zellner, Billboard, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ballad
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ballad
  1. song
  2. hymn
  3. lyric
  4. anthem
  5. vocal
  6. lullaby
Noun
  • The latest version includes a handful of unreleased tunes, in addition to the original 2006 songs.
    — Caché McClay, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Artists using the library to record, produce and distribute songs is not unheard of.
    — Caden Perry, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of song
Noun
  • The scholar of religion Friedrich Max Müller (1823–1900) noticed that many Vedic hymns praise different deities using the same superlatives and ascribe to them the same mythological feats.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Avie Lee filled the family's two-room home with music by singing hymns, folk songs and traditional mountain music.
    — Devarrick Turner, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of hymn
Noun
  • Writers were impressed by her ability to infuse emotion into lyrics.
    — Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Her lyrics were representative of America throughout different decades, including the changing experiences of women who demanded equality.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of lyric
Noun
  • If the night had ended after that soaring anthem, few in the heavily female and predominantly middle-aged crowd could have complained.
    — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Those who condemned his protest chose to focus on his kneeling during the anthem — as opposed to the police violence that drove him to do it.
    — Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of anthem
Noun
  • Accompanying the vocals sits an intriguing, rapid-fire, finger-picking guitar, performed in the recording studio by session musician Chip Young.
    — Wendy Hargreaves, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • But, your vocals are on point, your guitar is on point, your look, your energy, your vibe.
    — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of vocal
Noun
  • Gotta be honest, this instrumental version from one of those cover compilations of rock songs done lullaby-style for hipster parents is kind of great.
    — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Reilly, who composed the song wholesale, seems content to swap his Satie-esque irresolution for something straightforwardly plaintive, like a lullaby.
    — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 30 July 2026
Definition of lullaby

Browse Nearby Words

ball
ballad
ballads
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Cite this Entry

“Ballad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ballad. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on ballad

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ballad

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