Definitions for Ballad
ˈbæl ədbal·lad

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:4.0 / 2 votes

1. ballad, laynoun

   a narrative song with a recurrent refrain

2. ballad, laynoun

   a narrative poem of popular origin

WiktionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. balladnoun

   A long song or poem that tells a story.

   The poet composed a ballad praising the heroic exploits of the fallen commander.

2. balladnoun

   A slow romantic pop song.

   On Friday nights, the roller rink had a time-block called "Lovers' Lap" when they played nothing but ballads on the overhead speakers.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Balladnoun

   A song.

   Etymology: balade, Fr.

   Ballad once signified a solemn and sacred song, as well as trivial, when Solomon’s Song was called the ballad of ballads; but now it is applied to nothing but trifling verse. Isaac Watts.

   An’ I have not ballads made on you all, and sung to filthy tunes, may a cup of sack be my poison. William Shakespeare, Henry IV.

   Like the sweet ballad, this amusing lay
   Too long detains the lover on his way. John Gay, Trivia.

2. To Balladverb

   To make or sing ballads.

   Etymology: from the noun.

   Saucy lictors
   Will catch at us like strumpets, and scall’d rhimers
   Ballad us out o’ tune. William Shakespeare, Antony and Cleopatra.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Ballad

   A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French chanson balladée or ballade, which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Europe, and later in Australia, North Africa, North America and South America. While ballads have no prescribed structure and may vary in their number of lines and stanzas, many ballads employ quatrains with ABCB or ABAB rhyme schemes, the key being a rhymed second and fourth line. Contrary to a popular misconception, it is rare if not unheard-of for a ballad to contain exactly 13 lines. Additionally, couplets rarely appear in ballads. Many ballads were written and sold as single sheet broadsides. The form was often used by poets and composers from the 18th century onwards to produce lyrical ballads. In the later 19th century, the term took on the meaning of a slow form of popular love song and is often used for any love song, particularly the sentimental ballad of pop or rock music, although the term is also associated with the concept of a stylized storytelling song or poem, particularly when used as a title for other media such as a film.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. ballad

   A ballad is a type of poem or song that tells a story, often about love, betrayal, death or other emotional themes. They usually have a regular rhyme scheme and rhythm, traditionally broken into four-line stanzas known as quatrains. Ballads are historically meant to be sung or recited and are heavily associated with both folk culture and popular music.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:3.0 / 1 vote

1. Balladnoun

   a popular kind of narrative poem, adapted for recitation or singing; as, the ballad of Chevy Chase; esp., a sentimental or romantic poem in short stanzas

2. Balladverb

   to make or sing ballads

3. Balladverb

   to make mention of in ballads

WikidataRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. Ballad

   A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French chanson balladée or ballade, which were originally "dancing songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of the British Isles from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many ballads were written and sold as single sheet broadsides. The form was often used by poets and composers from the 18th century onwards to produce lyrical ballads. In the later 19th century it took on the meaning of a slow form of popular love song and the term is now often used as synonymous with any love song, particularly the pop or rock power ballad.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:2.0 / 1 vote

1. Ballad

   bal′lad, n. a simple spirited narrative poem in short stanzas of two or four lines, in which a story is told in straightforward verse, often with great elaborateness and detail in incident, but always with graphic simplicity and force—a sort of minor epic: a simple song, usually of a romantic or sentimental nature, in two or more verses, each sung to the same melody, as in the so-called Ballad Concerts: any popular song, often scurrilous.—ns. Bal′ladist, a writer or singer of ballads; Bal′lad-monger, a dealer in ballads. [Fr. ballade, from ballare, to dance, being orig. a song sung to the rhythmic movement of a dancing chorus—a dramatic poem sung or acted in the dance, of which a shadow survives in the ring-songs of our children.]

The Nuttall EncyclopediaRate this definition:3.0 / 1 vote

1. Ballad

   a story in verse, composed with spirit, generally of patriotic interest, and sung originally to the harp.

Etymology and OriginsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Ballad

   See “Ball.”

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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How to pronounce Ballad?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say Ballad in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of Ballad in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of Ballad in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of Ballad in a Sentence

1. Ellen Brooks:

   This was a pop ballad song done by female singers, so as far as the song choice goes, it's really interesting, it sort of sums up Elvis, pre-fame.

2. Joan Baez:

   During the 'ballad' years for me, the politics was latent; I was just falling in love with the ballads and my boyfriend. And there was the beauty of the songs.

3. John Fogerty:

   But I think beautiful is simple and elegant, like a ballad with simple harmony.

4. Gen. Douglas MacArthur, Farewell address, quoted on "We Interrupt This Broadcast" CD-ROM:

   And now, like the old soldier of that ballad, I now close my military career, and just fade away...an old soldier who tried to do his duty, as God gave him the light to see that duty. Good-bye.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=Ballad
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Ballad
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=Ballad
4. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballad
5. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
6. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Ballad
7. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=Ballad
8. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=Ballad
9. ^ The Nuttall Encyclopedia
   https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/12342/pg12342-images.html#Ballad
10. ^ Etymology and Origins
    https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/54657/pg54657-images.html#:~:text=Ballad
11. ^ Usage in printed sources
    https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=Ballad