What does "ballast" mean?
Heavy material that is placed in the hold of a ship (or in the gondola of a balloon), to provide stability.
Ballast
/ˈbæl.əst/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Heavy material that is placed in the hold of a ship (or in the gondola of a balloon), to provide stability.
- Grammar: ballast is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: aggregates, anchor, balance, balance.
- Useful contrasts: bobfloat, destabilize, instability.
- Usage evidence: An invasive species can be introduced to a new area via the ballast water of oceangoing ships, intentional and accidental releases of aquaculture species, aquarium specimens or bait, and other means.
How to use "ballast"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "ballast" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "ballast" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "ballast" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "ballast" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "ballast" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "aggregates" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "ballast", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Heavy material that is placed in the hold of a ship (or in the gondola of a balloon), to provide stability. uncountable, usually
"“Oh, for the-- how much did you waste on that little boondoggle?” “Well, it's not that so much as--” “Krieger.” “Well, I needed ballast, and what better to simulate bricks of cocaine than, you know, bricks of cocaine.”"
- 2 any heavy material used to stabilize a ship or airship wordnet
- 3 Anything that steadies emotion or the mind. figuratively, uncountable, usually
- 4 an electrical device for starting and regulating fluorescent and discharge lamps wordnet
- 5 Coarse gravel or similar material laid to form a bed for roads or railroads, or in making concrete; track ballast. uncountable, usually
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 a resistor inserted into a circuit to compensate for changes (as those arising from temperature fluctuations) wordnet
- 7 A material, such as aggregate or precast concrete pavers, which employs its mass and the force of gravity to hold single-ply roof membranes in place. uncountable, usually
- 8 an attribute that tends to give stability in character and morals; something that steadies the mind or feelings wordnet
- 9 device used for stabilizing current in an electric circuit (e.g. in a tube lamp supply circuit) countable, usually
- 10 coarse gravel laid to form a bed for streets and railroads wordnet
- 11 That which gives, or helps to maintain, uprightness, steadiness, and security. figuratively, uncountable, usually
"With 73 minutes gone Rafael Márquez came on to add ballast at the back, appearing in his fifth World Cup aged 39 and with alleged links to drug trafficking, which he denies, on hold for now. And so they sat deep with a thin green line of five defenders ranged across their own penalty area as the game became a Mexican stand-off, attack versus defence."
Verb
- 1 To stabilize or load a ship with ballast. transitive
- 2 make steady with a ballast wordnet
- 3 To lay ballast on the bed of a railroad track. transitive
"The task of a Railway Construction Company, R.E., is to lay and ballast the track; [...]."
- 4 To weigh down with a ballast. transitive
"The noosance was […] that to make the umbrella effective he would have to carry abroad such weight to ballast it as would put the whole contraption out of action for carrying abroad at all."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"An invasive species can be introduced to a new area via the ballast water of oceangoing ships, intentional and accidental releases of aquaculture species, aquarium specimens or bait, and other means."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "ballast"?
Common synonyms include: aggregates, anchor, balance, balance, balancing factor, ballast resistor.
How do you use "ballast" in a sentence?
An invasive species can be introduced to a new area via the ballast water of oceangoing ships, intentional and accidental releases of aquaculture species, aquarium specimens or bait, and other means.
How do you pronounce "ballast"?
Pronounced /ˈbæl.əst/.
Etymology
From Middle English bar (“bare”) + last (“load”).