ball
gb/bˈɔl/ us/bˈɔl/
A1
Inglés
~ 1200
Acepciones
0 acepciones
Sustantivo
A1
entity
1
Round object for sports or games
A round object that people use to play sports or games.
Patrón de uso:
to throw/kick/hit [a ball]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes confuse 'ball' with 'bowl' when speaking quickly.
Sinónimos
sphere (More general term for any round three-dimensional object, not limited to sports.)
Colocaciones
throw a ball
|kick a ball
|hit a ball
|catch a ball
Temas
sports
|daily life
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- He kicked the ball into the goal.
- The children were playing with a ball in the park.
- She caught the ball with one hand.
- The ball bounced over the fence.
- They passed the ball back and forth.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- I can throw the ball far.
- The ball is on the ground.
- He hits the ball hard.
- We play with a ball every day.
Sustantivo
B1
event
2
Formal dance party
A big, formal party where people dance.
Patrón de uso:
to attend/go to [a ball]
Error frecuente:
Learners may confuse this meaning with the sports object meaning, especially in writing without context.
Sinónimos
gala (A large, elegant social event, sometimes without dancing.)
Colocaciones
attend a ball
|host a ball
|charity ball
Temas
social life
|events
|arts_entertainment
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- They attended the royal ball at the palace.
- The charity ball raised thousands of dollars.
- She wore a beautiful gown to the ball.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- We went to a big ball last night.
- The ball was in a large hall.
- She danced at the ball.
Sustantivo
informal
B1
entity
3
A lot of fun
A very fun and happy time.
Patrón de uso:
to have [a ball]
Error frecuente:
Learners may interpret this literally as involving a physical ball if unaware of the idiomatic usage.
Sinónimos
blast (Informal term for an enjoyable experience, often more casual than 'ball'.)
Antónimos
bore (An uninteresting or unpleasant experience.)
Colocaciones
have a ball
Temas
emotions
|daily life
|daily_life
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- We had a ball at the party last night.
- They’re having a ball playing in the snow.
- You’ll have a ball on your trip to Italy.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- I had a ball at the park.
- They have a ball at school parties.
- We had a ball with our friends.
Sustantivo
A2
entity
4
Solid spherical mass of material
A round piece of something like clay, dough, or paper.
Sinónimos
globule (Small drop or rounded particle, often liquid.)
Colocaciones
ball of dough
|ball of clay
|ball of yarn
Temas
cooking
|crafts
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- Roll the dough into a small ball.
- She made a ball of clay for her art project.
- The cat played with a ball of yarn.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- I made a ball from paper.
- The cat plays with a ball of yarn.
- She rolls the clay into a ball.
Verbo
B1
action
5
Form into a round shape
To make something round by pressing or rolling it.
Patrón de uso:
to ball [something] up
Sinónimos
roll (To turn something over and over to shape it into a cylinder or sphere.)
Colocaciones
ball up paper
|ball up clothes
Temas
crafts
|daily life
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- He balled up the piece of paper and threw it away.
- She balled the dough before baking it.
- Ball the fabric before storing it.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- I ball up my socks.
- She balls up the paper and throws it away.
- We ball the dough before cooking.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
ball
AFI
GB/bˈɔl/
US/bˈɔl/
Sílabas y acento
ball (1 sílaba)
Stress on 1st syllable (ball)
Formas de la palabra
Noun
- Base: ball
- Plural: balls
Verb
- Base: ball
- 3rd Person Singular: balls
- Present Participle: balling
- Past: balled
Familia de palabras
Forms
balls
noun
balling
verb
balled
verb
Core family
Related words
Advanced or less common
ballpark
noun
Expresiones
get the ball rolling
1/ɡˈɛt ðə bˈɔl ɹˈoʊlɪŋ/
idiom
informal
Start something happening or moving forward
To begin an activity or make something start working.
Ejemplos
- Let’s get the ball rolling on this new campaign.
- She got the ball rolling by introducing everyone.
have a ball
1/hˈæv ə bˈɔl/
idiom
informal
Have a great time
To have a very fun and happy time.
Ejemplos
- We had a ball at the wedding reception.
- You’re going to have a ball on your vacation.
keep your eye on the ball
1/kˈip jˈʊɹ ˈaɪ ˈɔn ðə bˈɔl/
idiom
Stay focused on what matters
To pay attention to what is important and not get distracted.
Ejemplos
- If you want to win, keep your eye on the ball.
- We need to keep our eye on the ball during this project.
the ball is in your court
1/ðə bˈɔl ˈɪz ˈɪn jˈʊɹ kˈɔɹt/
idiom
It's your turn to act or decide
It is now your time to make a choice or do something.
Ejemplos
- I’ve done all I can; now the ball is in your court.
- The offer has been made—the ball is in their court.
drop the ball
1/dɹˈɑp ðə bˈɔl/
idiom
informal
Fail to do something important correctly or on time
To make a mistake because you forgot or didn’t do something you should have done.
Ejemplos
- He really dropped the ball on that project deadline.
- I really dropped the ball on that project deadline.
- We can’t afford to drop the ball this time.
- He dropped the ball during the meeting and forgot key points.