ballast

USAGE SUMMARY

The word 'ballast' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to an heavy material placed in the hold of a ship or an aircraft to improve stability and balance. For example: "The sailors loaded the hold of the ship with heavy ballast to prevent it from tipping over in the rough waters."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

But he also added that once Network Rail had pressed ahead as planned with the excavation of 6,000 tonnes of ballast, engineers had no choice but to continue even as problems became apparent.

The Guardian - Business

Such a sense of the conventional was ballast to define myself against.

The Guardian

He writes and produces all his own music and, despite record company ballast, shows no sign of changing the one-man-band operation of his teenage years, when he not only made the music, but also designed the look of his Myspace page.

The Guardian - Music

The Kauri pine, from which the columns were built, was a cheap ballast material, he says, brought back in boats from New Zealand and readily available at the Glasgow shipyards.

The Guardian - Arts

Container ships must sail from Britain to China anyway, to pick up goods; if they were empty they would have to take on ballast.

The Economist

Space launches usually comprise one or more primary payloads and require ballast to balance the rocket.

The Economist

And when it delivers its payload, it needs to be weighted down with ballast to stop it shooting up into the air.The solution to these problems may lie in hybrid airships that are aerodynamically shaped to generate part of their lift as a conventional wing does.

The Economist

CubeSats, reasoned Mr Twiggs, could take the place of some of this ballast, so long as they did not jeopardise the main mission.

The Economist

Operators whose nanosats ride shotgun as ballast in other missions do not have much control over when they launch or the orbits they reach, says William Pomerantz, the head of special projects at Virgin Galactic.

The Economist

The line's 3m concrete sleepers are being cast there, and the ballast on which they will lie is quarried nearby.

The Economist

As it is deployed the top is filled with air for flotation while the bottom is filled with water for ballast.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "ballast" in a metaphorical sense, ensure the context clearly indicates the stabilizing or grounding effect you intend to convey.

Common error

Avoid using "ballast" loosely to describe any form of support. "Ballast" specifically implies a heavy, stabilizing influence. If the support isn't substantial or grounding, a different term might be more appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "ballast" is a noun, referring to a heavy material used to stabilize a ship, structure, or even a person's emotions. This is clearly supported by Ludwig's examples, demonstrating its capacity to provide balance and prevent overturning.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

42%

Encyclopedias

11%

Science

11%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the term "ballast" functions primarily as a noun referring to a stabilizing material or influence. As Ludwig AI indicates, its grammatical status is correct, with high frequency across News & Media, Encyclopedias, and Science. It can be used literally, referring to ship cargo, or metaphorically to denote emotional or intellectual stability. When writing with "ballast", ensure that your context clarifies the stabilizing nature and source of resistance you are trying to convey, with care not to overstate the term in abstract contexts. Considering its diverse usage, understanding the nuances of "ballast" helps to enhance both precision and impact in writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

stabilizing weight

Focuses specifically on the weight aspect used for stabilization.

counterweight

Highlights the aspect of opposing weight to achieve balance.

steadying influence

Emphasizes the impact on maintaining stability or composure.

support structure

Shifts the focus to the structural support provided.

groundwork

Emphasizes the foundational or underlying support.

intellectual grounding

Specifically relates to providing intellectual stability or a firm basis for understanding.

road bed

Similar concept to ballast, but specific to the road or railway construction.

ship's load

Highlights material carried by the ship.

emotional anchor

Emphasizes the feeling of safety provided by ballast in the emotional sense.

base layer

Highlights the the bottom support.

FAQs

How can I use "ballast" in a sentence?

You can use "ballast" to describe something that provides stability, like "The heavy stones served as ballast for the small boat" or metaphorically, as in "Her calm demeanor provided emotional ballast during the crisis".

What's the difference between "ballast" and "counterweight"?

"Ballast" generally refers to any heavy material used for stability, while "counterweight" specifically opposes another weight to create balance.

Which is correct, "add ballast" or "adding ballast"?

Both phrases are correct, but they serve different grammatical roles. "Add ballast" is an imperative, a command to add ballast. "Adding ballast" is a gerund phrase, functioning as a noun, such as in the sentence, "Adding ballast improved the ship's stability."

What can I say instead of "ballast" when referring to emotional support?

You can use alternatives like "emotional anchor", "steadying influence", or "source of stability" depending on the context.