balloon

noun
UK: /bəˈluːn/
US: /bəˈluːn/

  1. A rubber bag inflated with air or gas, used as a toy or decoration.

    1. The child held a red balloon tightly. [ ] [ ]
    2. The party was decorated with colorful balloons floating near the ceiling. [ ] [ ]

  2. A large bag filled with hot air or gas, used for travelling in the air.

    1. We watched the hot air balloon rise slowly. [ ] [ ]
    2. The balloon drifted silently across the landscape, offering stunning views. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

inflate bubble swell grow expand
balloon intransitive-verb

  1. To increase rapidly.

    1. The costs ballooned last month. [ ] [ ]
    2. Her savings ballooned thanks to smart investments in growing industries. [ ] [ ]

  2. To swell out in a round shape.

    1. The sail ballooned in the wind. [ ] [ ]
    2. The parachute ballooned open, slowing the descent of the skydiver safely. [ ] [ ]
balloon transitive-verb

  1. To cause to swell out; to inflate.

    1. She ballooned the cheeks. [ ] [ ]
    2. The doctor ballooned the patient's lungs with oxygen using a ventilator. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "balloon" in English means: A rubber bag inflated with air or gas, used as a toy or decoration., A large bag filled with hot air or gas, used for travelling in the air..

The phonetic transcription of "balloon" is /bəˈluːn/ in British English and /bəˈluːn/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "balloon": inflate, bubble, swell, grow, expand.

Example usage of "balloon": "The child held a red balloon tightly.". More examples on the page.