balding

American  

[bawl-ding] / ˈbɔl dɪŋ /

adjective

1. losing hair on the scalp; becoming bald.

   a middle-aged, balding man.

---

noun

1. the process of becoming bald.

   There are numerous causes for balding, such as genetics and poor nutrition.

balding British  

/ ˈbɔːldɪŋ /

adjective

1. somewhat bald or becoming bald

---

Etymology

Origin of balding

First recorded in 1935–40; bald ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) balding for def. 1, or -ing ¹ ( def. ) balding for def. 2

Explanation

If your dad is losing his hair, you can describe him as balding — although it may hurt his feelings if he's sensitive about his looks. Someone who's balding is well on his way to being bald. He may have a shiny bald patch on the back of his head or just extremely thin wisps of hair all over — either way, he's balding. Both balding and bald probably originated from the Celtic root word bal, which means "white patch or blaze," especially one that's found on a horse or another animal's head.

Example Sentences

For men, it’s mostly caused by the body’s hereditary response to the hormone dihydrotestosterone and can lead to balding.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 25, 2026

Roughly half of the poll’s respondents, despite showing no symptoms of balding, said they were interested in remedies.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 5, 2026

And balding, he notes, is a "cosmetic issue".

From BBC • Dec. 18, 2025

But it was up against other, hipper shows like The Word, and a balding, middle-aged, middle-class man being risqué suddenly seemed less cutting-edge.

From BBC • Aug. 4, 2025

Richard told Kainene how charmed he had been by Ojukwu even though the man showed signs of early balding and was vaguely histrionic and wore a gaudy ring.

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie