balm

American  

[bahm] / bɑm /

noun

1. any of various oily, fragrant, resinous substances, often of medicinal value, exuding from certain plants, especially tropical trees of the genus Commiphora.

2. a plant or tree yielding such a substance.

3. any aromatic or fragrant ointment.

   Synonyms:

   emollient, lotion, unguent, salve

4. aromatic fragrance; sweet odor.

   the balm of orange blossoms.

5. any of various aromatic plants of the mint family, especially those of the genus Melissa, as M. officinalis lemonbalm, having ovate lemon-scented leaves used as a seasoning.

6. anything that heals, soothes, or mitigates pain.

   the balm of friendship in troubled times.

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balm British  

/ bɑːm /

noun

1. any of various oily aromatic resinous substances obtained from certain tropical trees and used for healing and soothing See also balsam

2. any plant yielding such a substance, esp the balm of Gilead

3. something comforting or soothing

   soft music is a balm

4. any aromatic or oily substance used for healing or soothing

5. Also called: lemon balm.  an aromatic Eurasian herbaceous plant, Melissa officinalis , having clusters of small fragrant white two-lipped flowers: family Lamiaceae (labiates)

6. a pleasant odour

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Other Word Forms

• balmlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of balm

1175–1225; Middle English basme, ba ( u ) me < Anglo-French basme, bal ( s ) me, ba ( u ) me; Old French < Latin balsamum balsam; with orthographic l pedantically restored

Explanation

If your lips are cracked and dry, lip balm will make them feel better. A balm is a soothing substance with a consistency somewhere between solid and liquid. The ointment-like consistency is part of what the word balm means. It comes down from the word, balsam, which is a gummy substance that comes from trees. You can use the word metaphorically too. If your mother's cooking always makes you feel better no matter how bad things get, you can say her home cooking has been a balm for you in trying times.

Example Sentences

This is primarily transmitted through close, direct skin-to-skin contact with an infected person, such as kissing or sharing items contaminated with saliva, like lip balm or cutlery, according to the World Health Organization.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

The desert can be hot and rough, but Giveon’s soothing baritone is a balm capable of healing sunburns and broken hearts.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

That she’s played by Laurie Metcalf, one of our great actors, should be a balm among the soul-chafing antics of “Big Mistakes.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

All of that access can feel like a balm for the ever-embattled press, a deserved return to pride of place.

From Slate • Mar. 18, 2026

He reached into his shirt pocket for the small tin of lotus-oil balm he carried with him at all times, and applied it to three spots on his forehead.

From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Related Words

• lotion
• ointment
• potion
• salve