ballad
ballad Lexical Profile
ballad Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A slow, sentimental, or romantic popular song.
"The rock band's most famous track is an emotional acoustic ballad that still plays on the radio today."
A narrative poem or folk song, typically composed in short stanzas and adapted for singing, that tells a dramatic or traditional story handed down through oral tradition.
"The folk singer performed a traditional Scottish ballad about two star-crossed lovers."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse "ballad" with the French borrowing "ballade," which refers to a specific medieval verse form with a strict rhyme scheme or a romantic instrumental piece for the piano.
• Rhymes for ballad
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 15th century from Old French "balade" (meaning a dancing song), which came from Old Occitan "balada" and ultimately from Late Latin "ballare" (to dance), sharing an ancient root with "ballet" and "ballroom."