baller

1 of 2

noun

ball·​er ˈbȯ-lər How to pronounce baller (audio)
plural ballers
1
: an implement for shaping food into a ball or removing a core
a melon baller
2
US, informal
a
: an athlete who plays a sport that involves the use of a ball
especially : a basketball player
In '98, Kobe represented again as the youngest baller in history to play in an NBA All-Star game. Bobbito Garcia
b
: a wealthy and successful person who lives lavishly
The next day he received a stack of cards listing his name and a new title: Baller. That is hip hop for … a big shot.Amanda Schupak

baller

2 of 2

adjective

informal
: excellent, exciting, or extraordinary especially in a way that is suggestive of a lavish lifestyle
… gangster films, unsurprisingly, offer up some of the finest examples of watches that offer no functions other than to look totally ballerAlfred Tong
For the Law Firm of Gary, Williams, Lewis, and Watson, P.I., "low-budget" is a concept that just doesn't exist. To the contrary, the firm wants to make it clear just how baller the life of a private injury attorney can be.Natasha Lydon

Examples of baller in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Many lament that the shortlist for the Ballon d'Or is now comprised of players who aren't mavericks or 'ballers' but stars whose genius is excelling or dominating a particular system. Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024 The baller wanted to memorialize his former Texas Tech football coach, the late Mike Leach. Lynette Rice, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2024 The baller did so to cover up the Reebok logo on his jacket, in a nod to his strong and enduring partnership with Nike. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 10 Oct. 2024 With his entourage of ballers and video vixens, his retinue of security, his talent for curation, Puff was the ringmaster of relevancy, the pied piper of fun and the force at the very center of cultural power. Amy Dubois Barnett, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for baller 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

derivative of baller entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1586, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Adjective

2003, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of baller was circa 1586

Dictionary Entries Near baller

Cite this Entry

“Baller.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/baller. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!