overwordExplorer
ENGLISH · A WORD WITH POSSIBILITIES

ballad.

A kind of narrative poem, adapted for recitation or singing; especially, a sentimental or romantic poem in short stanzas.

6 characters2 syllables approx.English language

Meaning & usage

noun/ˈbæləd//ˈbælɪt/
  1. A kind of narrative poem, adapted for recitation or singing; especially, a sentimental or romantic poem in short stanzas.

    The poet composed a ballad praising the heroic exploits of the fallen commander.
  2. A slow romantic song.

    On Friday nights, the roller rink had a time-block called "Lovers' Lap" when they played nothing but ballads on the overhead speakers.
    He was playing the guitar and singing a ballad to his girlfriend while she was playing the drums.
Where this word comes from

From French ballade, from Old Occitan ballada (“poem for a dance”), from Late Latin ballare. Doublet of balada and ballade.

verb/ˈbæləd//ˈbælɪt/
  1. To make mention of in ballads.

    obsolete
  2. To compose or sing ballads.

    intransitive
Where this word comes from

From French ballade, from Old Occitan ballada (“poem for a dance”), from Late Latin ballare. Doublet of balada and ballade.

FROM WORD TO NAME

Try it on your idea.

ballad has 6 characters. Say it out loud, try it alongside a description of your project, and see whether its meaning fits what you want to create.

ballad studioballad workshello, ballad

These are naming prompts. Meanings and pronunciation can vary; existing brand and domain uses have not been checked.

Explore the name generator

A word with a source.

Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.

Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.