balloon

1 of 3

noun

bal·​loon bə-ˈlün 

plural balloons

1

: a nonporous bag of light material that can be inflated especially with air or gas: such as

a

: a bag that is filled with heated air or a gas lighter than air so as to rise and float in the atmosphere and that usually carries a suspended load (such as a gondola with passengers)

b

: an inflatable bag (as of rubber or plastic) usually used as a toy or for decoration

c

medical : a small bag that can be inflated (as in a bodily cavity) with air or gas

More than 700,000 Americans undergo procedures in which clogged arteries are cleared out with a balloon and then propped open with a tiny metal scaffold called a stent.

—Ron Winslow

2

: the outline enclosing words spoken or thought by a figure especially in a cartoon

balloon

2 of 3

adjective

1

: relating to, resembling, or suggesting a balloon

a balloon sleeve

2

US : having or being a final installment that is much larger than preceding ones in a term or installment note

a balloon note

a balloon mortgage

Got a commercial mortgage coming due? If the loan requires a balloon payment (as many such mortgages do), you may have a hard time refinancing …

—INC

balloon

3 of 3

verb

ballooned; ballooning; balloons

intransitive verb

1

: to swell or puff out : expand

ballooned to 200 pounds

2

: to ascend or travel in or as if in a balloon

3

: to increase rapidly

ballooning prices

transitive verb

: inflate, increase

Phrases

go over like a lead balloon (US) or British go down like a lead balloon

informal

: to fail completely to impress or amuse other people

Not surprisingly, his overt religiosity has proved a mixed blessing. While probably a winner on the stump, it has gone over like a lead balloon with journalists, liberals, and even many Jewish organizations.

—Michelle Cottle

But the last time I saw it on stage, in Ned Sherrin's 1996 revival, the dialogue bored me rigid and the whole thing … went down like a lead balloon.

—David Nice

Synonyms

Verb

• accelerate
• accumulate
• appreciate
• boom
• build up
• burgeon
• bourgeon
• climb
• enlarge
• escalate
• expand
• gain
• increase
• mount
• multiply
• mushroom
• proliferate
• rise
• roll up
• snowball
• spread
• swell
• wax

Examples of balloon in a Sentence

Noun

I blew up a balloon but then it burst.

brightly colored balloons and other party decorations

Verb

Their credit card debt ballooned to more than $5,000.

the ballooning costs of education

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

As for drones from adversarial nations, Loeb said that possibility should come as no surprise, since a Chinese spy balloon was spotted back in early 2023 flying at a high altitude across the United States. —Leonard David, Space.com, 21 Dec. 2024

This prequel flashes back to a previous Christmas in Los Angeles, when their unintentional destruction of a Santa Claus parade balloon put the city on edge, wrecking the gang's plans for a massive Yuletide bank robbery. —EW.com, 20 Dec. 2024

Adjective

President Joe Biden delivered remarks about the objects Thursday, downplaying the possibility that the non-balloon objects shot down might also be tied to surveillance efforts. —Dennis Romero, NBC News, 18 Feb. 2023

Such releases have been banned in a handful of states and cities, according to the anti-balloon release organization called Balloons Blow. —Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 20 Apr. 2022

Verb

What began as a series of hopeful pro-democracy protests in Syria in 2011 ballooned into a devastating and intractable conflict that contributed to one of the most severe refugee crises since World War II. —Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 8 Dec. 2024

Already the world’s richest person, Musk’s net worth has ballooned $91 billion in that same timeframe, bringing his total wealth to $353 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index. —Rocio Fabbro, Quartz, 3 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French ballon large football, balloon, from Italian dialect ballone large football, augmentative of balla ball, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German balla ball — more at ball

First Known Use

Noun

1783, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1784, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1784, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing balloon

• balloon angioplasty
• balloon catheter
• balloon flower
• balloon payment
• balloon tire
• balloon vine
• barrage balloon
• hot-air balloon
• trial balloon
• water balloon

Kids Definition

balloon

1 of 2 noun

bal·​loon bə-ˈlün 

1

: a bag of tough light material filled with heated gas or a gas lighter than air so as to rise and float in the atmosphere and that usually carries a suspended load (as a gondola with passengers)

2

: a toy or decoration consisting of an inflatable bag (as of rubber)

3

: an outline containing words spoken or thought by a character (as in a cartoon)

balloon

2 of 2 verb

1

: to go up or travel in a balloon

2

: to swell or puff out

3

: to increase rapidly

ballooning prices

Medical Definition

balloon

1 of 2 noun

bal·​loon bə-ˈlün 

: a nonporous bag of tough light material that can be inflated (as in a bodily cavity) with air or gas

gastroesophageal tamponade by introduction of a balloon into the stomach

balloon

2 of 2 transitive verb

: to inflate or distend like a balloon

intransitive verb

: to swell or puff out

Legal Definition

balloon

adjective

bal·​loon

: being or having a final installment that is much larger than preceding ones in an installment or term loan

a balloon payment

Note: In contrast to an amortized loan, a balloon loan is generally repaid in periodic payments of interest and a large, lump sum payment of principal at the end of the term.