# ballroom

/ˈbɔɫˌɹum/ (US) · /bˈɔːlɹuːm/ (UK)

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

## Senses

### 1. a large room

noun · CEFR B2

a large, grand room in a big house or hotel used for formal dances and parties.

For teachers: a large, ornate room specifically designed for social dancing, formal balls, and large-scale banquets.

- The hotel ballroom was decorated with hundreds of flowers for the wedding.
- The palace ballroom featured massive crystal chandeliers and polished marble floors that reflected the light of a thousand candles during the gala.

### 2. style of dance

noun · CEFR B2

a style of formal social dancing for couples, such as the waltz or tango.

For teachers: a set of partner dances, including the waltz, tango, and foxtrot, enjoyed both socially and competitively around the world.

- They decided to take ballroom classes before their wedding so they could dance the waltz.
- Competitive ballroom requires not only technical precision and athletic endurance but also a deep connection between the two partners.

### 3. to dance

verb · CEFR C2 · Formal · Literary

to take part in formal ballroom dancing.

For teachers: to engage in ballroom dancing. This intransitive use is less common than the noun form.

- The couples ballroomed across the floor until the early hours of the morning.
- As the orchestra played a sweeping melody, the guests began to ballroom with a grace rarely seen in modern nightclubs.

## Examples

- The wedding reception was held in the grand ballroom.
- They booked the hotel ballroom for the annual charity gala, ensuring enough space for the dance floor and buffet tables.
- The chandelier-lit ballroom echoed with the strains of a waltz, its marble floors reflecting the soft glow of candlelight as couples moved in elegant synchrony.

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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.