Definition of ball - Reverso English Dictionary
Noun
1.
sportsround object used in sports
- He kicked the ball into the goal.
2.
shapespherical object or mass
- She rolled the dough into a ball.
3.
baseball termTECH. US pitch delivered by the pitcher outside the strike zoneTECH. US
- The batter let the ball pass for a walk.
4.
social eventformal social gathering for dancing
- They attended a lavish ball at the hotel.
5.
medicalUS testicleUS
- He got hit in the balls during the game.
6.
anatomyround part of the body
- The ball of the foot is sore.
7.
weaponRare projectile for firearmsRare
- The cannon fired a heavy ball.
8.
LGBTQ+ cultureTECH. US competitive drag eventTECH. US
- The ball was a highlight of the festival.
9.
- He spent a ball on the new car.
Verb
1.
- They love to ball at the local court.
2.
- He's been balling since he got that job.
3.
shape formationtr./intr. form into a rounded shapetr./intr.
- She balled the dough in her hands before baking..
Images of ball

round object used in sports 
spherical object or mass
Expressions with ball
💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
small compact mass of soil or earth
She found a dirt ball in the garden.
start or engage in a game of ball
The teams are ready to play ball at the whistle..
crumple or squeeze into a ball
She balled up the note and threw it in the trash.
glass sphere used for fortune-telling
The fortune-teller gazed into her crystal ball.
make the ball go closer to the goal or target
The team worked together to move the ball forward.
move quickly while holding a ball
The player decided to run with the ball towards the goal.
person with a lot of energy and works hard
She is a real ball of fire at work.
small, soft mass of fibrous or woolly material
She cleaned the ball of fluff from her sweater..
everything involved, the entire matter or situation
Once you see the numbers, you will understand the whole ball of wax.
fail to fulfill responsibilities or duties
He dropped the ball on the project deadline.
start a process or activity so things begin to happen
Let's get the ball moving on this project.
start an activity, process, or discussion
Let's get the ball rolling on this project.
enjoy oneself a lot in a fun and exciting way
We had a ball at the party!
hand over responsibility or choice to someone else to act
I will leave the ball in your court to decide the next move.
hand over responsibility or choice to someone to act or decide
I will leave the ball in your court for the final decision.
alert and quick to respond or understand
She is really on the ball with her work.
engage in a sport involving a ball
Let's go outside and play some ball.
stop joining an activity out of spite or to block others
He decided to take his ball and go home when he lost the game.
lose concentration on what is most important
Don't take your eye off the ball during the meeting.
responsible for making the next move
Now the ball is in your court to decide.
situation that is very different from before
Working here is a different ball game from my last job.
give someone the responsibility to decide
After explaining the options, he left the ball in her court.
make progress towards a goal or objective
The committee's new plan will advance the ball on climate action.
basketball shot missing the basket entirely
He shot an air ball during the game.
Origin of ball
Old Norse, bollr (ball)
Terms with ball included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
sports
sport hitting a ball into holes with clubs
sports
team sport played with a round ball
sports
sport with racquets and a ball over a net
sport
game of throwing and catching a ball
game
small glass ball used in children's games
sports
move the ball to a teammate
sports
movement of the ball from one player to another
equipment
tool used to hit a golf ball
indoor sport
sport played on a table with small rackets and a light ball
gameplay turn
turn at hitting the ball in a game
sports
sport played in an enclosed court using rackets and a ball
sports
act of hitting a ball
confectionery
creamy chocolate candy often shaped like a ball
sports
move a ball by bouncing or kicking repeatedly
sports
act of moving a ball by bouncing or kicking
sports
the act of moving a ball by tapping
outdoor sport
team sport played outdoors with sticks, a ball, and two teams
cuisine
fried ball of flaked fish and mashed potatoes
team roles
player assigned to stop the ball or puck from entering the net
course sport
game where players hit a ball into holes
golf action
stroke in golf to hit the ball
sports
successful action of catching a ball in sports
games
small green glass ball used in games
field hockey gear
stick used in field hockey to handle the ball
Examples of ball in a sentence
Children played with the ball in the park all afternoon. The cat played with a ball of yarn. He threw a ball to his dog. The umpire called it a ball. He swung at the ball and missed. The charity ball raised a significant amount of money.
She wore a stunning gown to the ball. He felt a sharp pain in his ball. The injury to his ball was quite serious. She balanced the coin on the ball of her thumb. The dancer turned on the balls of her feet. The soldier loaded a ball into the musket. A lead ball was found near the old fort. She spent weeks preparing her outfit for the ball. The ball featured some of the most talented performers. She earned half a ball from the deal. The painting was valued at three balls. They would ball every weekend at the gym. He learned to ball from his older brother. They were balling at the exclusive resort. After winning the lottery, she started balling. He balled the paper and threw it away. The cat balled up on the couch.
View all translations of ball
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:ballon, jouer au basket, ...
- German:Ball, Basketball spielen, ...
- Italian:palla, giocare a basket, ...
- Spanish:balón, jugar al baloncesto, ...
- Portuguese:bola, jogar basquetebol, ...
- Chinese:球, 打球, ...
- Japanese:ボール, バスケットボールをする, ...
- Arabic:كُرَة, لَعِبَ كُرَة السَّلَّة, ...
- Hebrew:כַּדּוּר, לְשַׂחֵק כַּדּוּרְסַל, ...
- Russian:мяч, играть в баскетбол, ...
- Ukrainian:м'яч, баскетболити, ...
- Hindi:गेंद, बास्केटबॉल खेलना, ...

icon to discover related terms: analogies, antonyms, common collocates, words with same roots, umbrella terms… Try with happening or hunch.
icon next to the first example to see two additional options and learn to use new vocabulary naturally.
icon to save words you want to revisit. You can also save a specific meaning by clicking on the