1. narrative songs or poems that tell stories, often of folk origin and passed down through oral tradition
2. slow, romantic popular songs, typically expressing deep emotion

Examples

• The collection included traditional Scottish ballads about ancient heroes.
• Folk singers performed ballads that had been passed down for generations.
• The radio station played romantic ballads all evening.
• She wrote ballads about lost love and heartbreak.
• Medieval ballads often told tales of knights and adventures.
• The singer’s ballads topped the charts for weeks.
• Old English ballads were originally sung by traveling minstrels.