# balloon

/bəˈɫun/ (US) · /bəlˈuːn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/balloon
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. party decoration

noun · CEFR A2

a thin rubber bag that you fill with air or gas for a party or decoration.

For teachers: a small, flexible bag made of rubber or plastic, typically inflated with air or helium for decorative or recreational purposes.

- The children played with bright red balloons at the birthday party.
- The event planners filled the ballroom with hundreds of biodegradable balloons to create a festive atmosphere for the gala.

### 2. aircraft

noun · CEFR B1

a very large bag filled with hot air or gas that can carry people in a basket underneath it.

For teachers: a large, non-powered aircraft consisting of a bag filled with heated air or a gas lighter than air.

- We took a hot-air balloon ride over the valley at sunrise.
- The pilot monitored the burner carefully to maintain the balloon's altitude as they drifted over the mountain range.

### 3. speech bubble

noun · CEFR B2

the shape around the words that characters speak in a comic book.

For teachers: a graphic convention used in comic strips and cartoons to contain a character's spoken words or thoughts.

- The artist drew a jagged balloon to show that the character was shouting.
- In graphic novels, the shape and border of the speech balloon often convey the emotional tone of the dialogue.

### 4. medical device

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a tiny bag that a doctor puts inside a person's body to open up a blocked tube or vein.

For teachers: an inflatable catheter-mounted device used in medical procedures, such as angioplasty, to dilate a vessel or cavity.

- The surgeon used a small balloon to open the patient's blocked artery.
- During the procedure, the balloon is inflated at the site of the blockage to restore normal blood flow through the vessel.

### 5. to grow rapidly

verb · CEFR B2

to increase or grow in size very quickly.

For teachers: to expand or increase rapidly in size, volume, or importance. Intransitive use.

- The cost of the new stadium has ballooned since the project started.
- What began as a minor local dispute quickly ballooned into a national political scandal involving several high-ranking officials.

### 6. to puff out

verb · CEFR B2

to fill with air and become round like a ball.

For teachers: to swell or puff out like a balloon, often due to wind or internal pressure.

- The sails ballooned in the strong wind, pulling the boat forward.
- Her silk skirt ballooned around her as she stepped out into the gusty afternoon air.

## Examples

- The children played with a red balloon at the party.
- We tied several colorful balloons to the gate so the guests could find the house easily.
- The scientist monitored the weather balloon as it ascended into the stratosphere to collect atmospheric data for the upcoming climate report.

---

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.