# ballad

/ˈbæɫəd/ (US) · /bˈæləd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/ballad
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. slow romantic song

noun · CEFR B1

a slow, emotional song, usually about love.

For teachers: a slow, sentimental popular song, typically focusing on romantic or emotional themes.

- The singer performed a beautiful ballad that made many people in the audience cry.
- The album features several high-energy tracks, but it concludes with a hauntingly beautiful piano ballad about lost love.

### 2. narrative poem

noun · CEFR B2 · Literary

a poem or song that tells a story in short sections.

For teachers: a narrative poem, often of folk origin and intended to be sung, consisting of simple stanzas and usually having a refrain.

- The teacher asked us to write a ballad about a famous historical event.
- The collection includes traditional Scottish ballads that have been passed down through oral tradition for centuries.

## Examples

- She sang a sad ballad about lost love.
- The folk singer performed a traditional ballad about a sailor lost at sea.
- The album's closing track is a sweeping ballad that transforms a simple love story into a meditation on time and memory.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.