ballad

American  

[bal-uhd] / ˈbæl əd /

noun

1. any light, simple song, especially one of sentimental or romantic character, having two or more stanzas all sung to the same melody.

2. a simple narrative poem of folk origin, composed in short stanzas and adapted for singing.

3. any poem written in similar style.

4. the music for a ballad.

5. a sentimental or romantic popular song.

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ballad British  

/ ˈbæləd /

noun

1. a narrative song with a recurrent refrain

2. a narrative poem in short stanzas of popular origin, originally sung to a repeated tune

3. a slow sentimental song, esp a pop song

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ballad ¹ Cultural  

1. A simple narrative song, or a narrative poem suitable for singing. The ballad usually has a short stanza, such as:

   There are twelve months in all the year,

   As I hear many men say,

   But the merriest month in all the year

   Is the merry month of May.

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ballad ² Cultural  

1. A simple narrative song, or, alternatively, a narrative poem suitable for singing. (See under “Conventions of Written English.”)

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Other Word Forms

• balladic adjective
• balladlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of ballad

1350–1400; Middle English balade < Middle French < Old Provençal balada dance, dancing-song, equivalent to bal ( ar ) to dance (< Late Latin ballāre; see ball ²) + -ada -ade ¹

Explanation

A ballad is a song that tells a story, and it can be dramatic, funny, or romantic. You can find ballads in a variety of musical styles, from country-western to rock n' roll. The ballad is an old musical form. Ballads are often by anonymous composers, passed down from generation to generation. You may know “The Ballad of Jesse James," about the notorious bank robber, which dates from the 1880s and has been recorded by everybody from Woody Guthrie to Springsteen. A ballad can also be a slow, romantic song, the kind of thing crooners like Johnny Mathis and Bing Crosby made famous. The word ballad comes from medieval French balade, a dancing song.

Example Sentences

A squad of female mariachis in blue soon proceeded to walk down the runway, ushering in her ranchera ballad, “Ese Hombre Es Malo.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

Its famous chorus aside, that song’s tune was lifted directly from “Billy the Kid,” a ballad written by topical songsmith Andrew Jenkins and recorded by Vernon Dalhart in 1927.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

The young pop-soul singer just launched a U.S. headlining tour behind her hit piano ballad ‘Die on This Hill.’

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2026

For bands such as Styx, commercial success arrived in the form of a ballad.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

The inside smelled like vanilla or roses—I couldn’t tell which, maybe both—and her music collection included every terrible power ballad in existence.

From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson

Related Words

• chant
• ditty