Meaning & use
ball
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Meanings
nouncountable
A round or oval object used in games, which players throw, hit, or kick.
Grammar: Countable; use a/an or a number: a ball, two balls.
Patterns
- throw a ball
- kick a ball
- hit a ball
- catch a ball
The children were playing with a red ball in the yard.
He kicked the ball into the goal.
She threw the ball to her dog.
nouncountable
A formal social event with dancing, often held in a large hall.
Grammar: Countable; often used in phrases like 'a ball' or 'the ball'.
Patterns
- attend a ball
- hold a ball
- go to a ball
She wore a beautiful gown to the charity ball.
The hotel hosts a New Year's Eve ball every year.
They danced all night at the ball.
Word forms
| plural | balls |
|---|
Common combinations
- play ball
- The kids went outside to play ball.
- ball game
- We watched a ball game on TV last night.
- on the ball
- She's really on the ball when it comes to deadlines.
- ballroom
- The ballroom was decorated with flowers for the dance.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
Commonly confused: ball or bowl?
ball vs bowl
A bowl is a deep dish for food; a ball is a round object for games.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'ball' correctly to mean a formal dance?
Choose one answer.
'Attended a ball' refers to a formal dance event. The other options use 'ball' as a sports object.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ball”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.