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
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Recent Examples of ballad
Onstage at Colbert, Stapleton offered a solo rendition of the ballad, backed only by Nelson’s longtime sideman, harmonica player Mickey Raphael, who played on the original recording.
—
Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 7 May 2026
Not that the album can really be divided into ballads and rockers.
—Brendan Hay, SPIN, 27 Apr. 2026
His silky ballads are uniformly thoughtful and well-constructed, but lack the pathos that would give them greater depth and dimension.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
The ballads speak about love, but from a relaxed place.
—Adelle Platon, VIBE.com, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ballad
Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 7 May 2026
Not that the album can really be divided into ballads and rockers.
—Brendan Hay, SPIN, 27 Apr. 2026
His silky ballads are uniformly thoughtful and well-constructed, but lack the pathos that would give them greater depth and dimension.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
The ballads speak about love, but from a relaxed place.
—Adelle Platon, VIBE.com, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ballad
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ballad
Noun
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Ovenbird Warblers such as the ovenbird are often difficult to spot, so learning their widely varied songs is essential to identification.—
Christopher Gangemi,
New Yorker,
21 May 2026
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She is scheduled to perform new songs from her 12th studio album and some of her classic anthems.—
Carlos Rico,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 May 2026
Noun
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The inspiring and idiosyncratic debut from a 53-year-old priest in Greece pinballs between drone metal and techno Christmas carols, field recordings and hymns.—
Grayson Haver Currin,
Pitchfork,
14 May 2026
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The hymns are sung in High German, even though almost no one speaks it anymore.—
Maria Giesbrecht,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
Noun
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The Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper is known for his introspective lyrics that tackle political and social themes.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
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Rob turtled inside the plastic covering while viewers heard a soundtrack of tritely soulful country lyrics about being a house of cards that’s about to break.—
Anna Peele,
Vanity Fair,
14 May 2026
Noun
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The singer, songwriter and actress also performed the anthem before the 2015 and 2024 races.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
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Iranian officials have also asked for their flag and anthem to be respected, and for security guarantees at airports, hotels and stadiums.—
Khaled Wassef,
CBS News,
13 May 2026
Noun
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The latter version was used in Witten, with Sofia Jernberg delivering the live vocals, Keren Motseri contributing the recorded part, and Yalda Zamani conducting the WDR Symphony.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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The tracking was amazing, and the vocals were as well.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
17 May 2026
Noun
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And finally, along comes Katniss, who in the middle of the 74th Hunger Games sings a dying Rue the lullaby that Lucy Gray sang on their picnic years ago, winning over the audience with her help.—
Lizz Schumer,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
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Recently, Rockabye Baby, the world’s leading lullaby music brand, reimagined the project as a kid-friendly version.—
Caché McClay,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ballad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ballad. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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