Balled: meaning, definitions and examples

emotional expression

The term 'balled' is the past tense of the verb 'ball,' which means to form something into a round shape. It can also refer to the act of a person crying or expressing strong emotions, often resulting in a balling-up of the features such as the face or hands. In a more informal context, it may denote someone behaving in a certain overly dramatic or exaggerated manner. In a colloquial sense, it's sometimes used to describe someone having a fit of anger or sadness.

cried, shed tears, sobbed, weeped

Examples of usage

• She balled her fists in frustration.

• He balled up after hearing the bad news.

• The child balled his eyes out when he fell.

• After the breakup, she balled in her room for hours.