balloon
inflatable rubber decoration or toy
A soft rubber bag that you fill with air or gas so it becomes big and round, often used at parties or as a toy.
a [balloon]; [someone] blows up a balloon
- The children chased a red balloon across the park.
- She tied the balloon to the back of the chair for the birthday party.
- As he let go, the helium balloon floated up into the sky.
- They spent an hour blowing up balloons and hanging them around the room.
- The balloon popped with a loud bang when it touched the hot lamp.
- The boy has a blue balloon in his hand.
- We put many balloons in the living room for the party.
- Be careful, or the balloon will pop.
- She bought a big heart-shaped balloon for her friend.
- The small child cried when his balloon flew away.
hot-air or gas-filled aircraft
A very big balloon with a basket that people stand in and fly high in the sky.
a [balloon] takes off; a [balloon] ride
- We took a sunrise balloon ride over the valley.
- The colorful balloon slowly rose into the morning sky.
- Strong winds forced the pilot to land the balloon early.
- They watched the balloons drift silently over the mountains.
- A hot-air balloon festival is held in this town every summer.
- He wants to fly in a hot-air balloon one day.
- The balloon went up higher and higher.
- Many balloons are in the sky at the festival.
- The pilot landed the balloon in a field.
- They took photos from the balloon basket.
to grow or swell rapidly
To suddenly become much bigger or much more, often too big or too much.
[something] balloons; [something] balloons to [amount]
- Housing prices have ballooned over the past decade.
- Her medical bills ballooned to more than $50,000.
- The company's workforce ballooned after the merger.
- My waistline ballooned when I stopped exercising.
- The project’s budget ballooned out of control.
- City rents ballooned in just three years.
- The number of users ballooned to one million.
- His debts ballooned because he used his credit card too much.
- The crowd ballooned as more people arrived.
- Her weight ballooned after she changed jobs.
inflatable device used in medicine
A small balloon on a tube that doctors put inside the body and fill with air or liquid during an operation or medical test.
a [balloon] is inflated; a [balloon] catheter
- The surgeon used a balloon to widen the narrowed artery.
- A balloon catheter was inserted into the vessel and gently inflated.
- Once the balloon is expanded, blood flow through the artery improves.
- The doctor carefully deflated the balloon before removing the tube.
- This procedure uses a small balloon to open blocked heart arteries.
- The doctor put a small balloon in the patient’s artery.
- They inflate the balloon to open the blood vessel.
- After the test, the nurse deflates the balloon and takes it out.
- A balloon catheter helps the blood flow better.
- The balloon is inside the body only for a short time.
speech or thought bubble in comics
In comics and cartoons, the shape around the words that shows what a person is saying or thinking.
a speech balloon; a thought balloon
- The artist added a speech balloon to show what the character was saying.
- Her thoughts are written in a cloud-shaped thought balloon above her head.
- Each balloon in the comic contains just one short line of dialogue.
- The word 'Bang!' appears in a jagged balloon to show the loud noise.
- In this panel, the balloon tail points to the man on the left.
- In this comic, the words are inside a balloon.
- The speech balloon shows what the boy says.
- A thought balloon is usually soft and cloud-shaped.
- There is no balloon because the man is quiet.
- The balloon tail shows who is speaking.
- Base: balloon
- Plural: balloons
- Base: balloon
- 3rd Person Singular: balloons
- Present Participle: ballooning
- Past: ballooned
balloon animal
1animal shape made from balloons
An animal shape made by twisting long balloons, often at parties or fairs.
- The clown made a balloon animal for every child.
- She learned how to make a dog-shaped balloon animal from a video.
- A man at the park was selling balloon animals.
balloon mortgage
1mortgage with big final payment
A type of home loan where you pay small amounts each month and then one very large amount at the end.
- They chose a balloon mortgage to keep their initial payments low.
- A balloon mortgage can be risky if you cannot pay the final amount.
- The bank officer explained how the balloon mortgage would work after seven years.
balloon payment
1large final loan repayment
A very big last payment on a loan, after making smaller payments before.
- The car loan includes a balloon payment at the end of the term.
- They were worried they wouldn’t be able to afford the balloon payment.
- This mortgage has low monthly payments but a large balloon payment after five years.
balloon ride
1trip in a hot-air balloon
A trip where you fly in a hot-air balloon.
- They surprised their parents with a balloon ride over the lake.
- A balloon ride at sunset is very popular with tourists.
- We took a balloon ride and saw the city from above.
go down like a lead balloon
1be received very badly
To fail completely with people, for example when a joke or idea gets a very bad reaction.
- His joke went down like a lead balloon at the meeting.
- The proposal went down like a lead balloon with the board.
- Her comment went down like a lead balloon, and the room fell silent.
hot-air balloon
1large heated-air balloon aircraft
A very big balloon filled with hot air, with a basket under it where people stand and fly in the sky.
- They booked a hot-air balloon ride for their anniversary.
- Dozens of hot-air balloons filled the sky at sunrise.
- The hot-air balloon landed safely in an open field.
trial balloon
1test idea to see reaction
An action or statement that is used to see what people think about an idea before you fully do it.
- The government floated a trial balloon about raising the retirement age.
- Her comment about moving the office was just a trial balloon.
- They released the new policy as a trial balloon to gauge public opinion.
water balloon
1small balloon filled with water
A small balloon filled with water that people throw for fun, usually in games.
- The kids had a water balloon fight in the backyard.
- She threw a water balloon and it exploded on the sidewalk.
- We filled a bucket with water balloons for the party.