- a small bag made of very thin rubber that becomes larger and rounder when you fill it with air or gas. Balloons are brightly coloured and used as decorations or toys.
- to blow up/burst/pop a balloon
- My balloon has burst!
- A thousand balloons were released to mark the event.
- They tied the balloons to the back of the car.
- helium balloons for the children's party
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- helium
- water
- colourful/colorful
- …
- blow up
- inflate
- burst
- …
- burst
- pop
- (also hot-air balloon)a large balloon made of strong material that is filled with hot air or gas to make it rise in the air, usually carrying a basket for passengers
- We went up in a balloon.
- She crossed the Atlantic in a hot-air balloon.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- barrage
- hot-air
- weather
- …
- go up in
- launch
- release
- …
- float by
- float over
- float up
- …
- flight
- race
- in a balloon
Word Originlate 16th cent. (originally denoting a game played with a large inflated leather ball): from French ballon or Italian ballone ‘large ball’.
Idioms
See balloon in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionarygo down like a lead balloon
- (informal) to be very unsuccessful; to not be accepted by people
- My suggestion went down like a lead balloon.
when the balloon goes up
- (British English, informal) when the trouble that you are expecting begins
- We have to get out of here before the balloon goes up!
Check pronunciation:
balloon