1
a
: a narrative composition in rhythmic verse suitable for singing
a ballad about King Arthur
b
: an art song accompanying a traditional ballad
2
: a simple song : air
3
: a popular song
especially
: a slow romantic or sentimental song
a ballad they danced to at their wedding reception
Examples of ballad in a Sentence
a haunting ballad about lost love and loneliness
Recent Examples on the Web
Coraline’s poppy swells and power ballads.
—
Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2025
Over at the Frankenstein Place' After their car breaks down, Brad and Janet trudge through the rain and sing this hopeful and a little hymnal ballad about seeing a guiding light at the castle that will lead them to safety – not knowing yet what's in store for them.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 23 Sep. 2025
One student sang a heartfelt ballad about pineapples as her classmates rocked invisible pineapples in their arms.
—Jane Bua, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Her ballads were torch-song interludes that could have knocked them dead in lounges a century ago.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ballad
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.
Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2025
Over at the Frankenstein Place' After their car breaks down, Brad and Janet trudge through the rain and sing this hopeful and a little hymnal ballad about seeing a guiding light at the castle that will lead them to safety – not knowing yet what's in store for them.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 23 Sep. 2025
One student sang a heartfelt ballad about pineapples as her classmates rocked invisible pineapples in their arms.
—Jane Bua, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Her ballads were torch-song interludes that could have knocked them dead in lounges a century ago.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ballad
Cite this Entry
“Ballad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ballad. Accessed 26 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ballad
noun
bal·lad
ˈbal-əd 
1
: a poem that tells a story of adventure, of romance, or of a hero, that is suitable for singing, and that usually has stanzas of four lines with a rhyme on the second and fourth lines
2
: a simple song
3
: a usually slow or sentimental popular song
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share