Definition

1. Noun:

   • A small, thin, inflatable rubber bag with a narrow neck: A flexible bag, typically made of rubber, that can be inflated with air or gas, often used as a toy or for decoration.
   • A large, tough, non-rigid bag filled with gas or heated air: A large fabric envelope that, when filled with hot air or a gas lighter than air, can carry a basket or gondola for flight.

2. Verb:

   • To become inflated; to swell or expand: To increase rapidly in size or volume.
   • To ride in a hot-air balloon: To travel in the basket suspended beneath a hot-air balloon.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • The child was delighted with the red balloon.
  • They went on a scenic ride in a hot-air balloon.

• Verb:

  • The sails ballooned in the strong wind.
  • He hopes to balloon across the country next summer.

Advanced Usage

• "Balloon payment": A large, lump-sum payment due at the end of a loan term.

  • The mortgage has a balloon payment after ten years.

• "Trial balloon": A proposal or idea released to test public reaction.

  • The policy change was a trial balloon to gauge voter sentiment.

Variants and Related Words

• Balloonist (noun): A person who flies in a balloon, especially a hot-air balloon.

  • The famous balloonist completed a solo transatlantic flight.

• Ballooning (noun): The sport or activity of flying in a balloon.

  • She took up ballooning as a hobby.

Synonyms

• Noun (inflatable bag): Bladder, bubble.
• Verb (expand): Swell, inflate, bulge, billow.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Balloon out: To swell outward.

  • The curtains ballooned out from the open window.

• Balloon up: To inflate or swell up.

  • The dough ballooned up in the warm kitchen.

Related Idioms

• Go down like a lead balloon: To be received very badly; to fail completely.

  • His joke about the boss went down like a lead balloon.

• When the balloon goes up: When trouble or action begins.

  • We need to be ready for when the balloon goes up.

Noun

1. small thin inflatable rubber bag with narrow neck
2. large tough nonrigid bag filled with gas or heated air

Verb

1. become inflated
   • The sails ballooned
2. ride in a hot-air balloon
   • He tried to balloon around the earth but storms forced him to land in China