2TTA (also hot-air balloon) a large bag of strong light cloth filled with gas or heated air so that it can float in the air. It has a baskethanging below it for people to stand in 热气球
4a balloon paymentAmerican EnglishAmEBFL money borrowed that must be paid back in one large sum after several smaller payments have been made 〔分期付款中〕最后一笔数目特大的还款
a $10,000 balloon payment due in two years
最后一笔两年后到期该付的一万美元付款额
Examples from the Corpus
a balloon payment• Use the loan to pay off the balloon payment.
5the balloon goes upBritish EnglishBrE informal used to refer to the moment when a situation starts to become really bad 出现大麻烦,出乱子
We’ll have to get out of there before the balloon goes up.
我们得趁事情还没闹大的时候赶快脱身。
Examples from the Corpus
the balloon goes up• We don't want you being left behind in Mbarara if the balloon goes up.
balloon flight• For example: A: Do you know what the longest balloon flight was?
balloon2 (also balloon out) verb [intransitiveI]
1INCREASE IN NUMBER OR AMOUNTto suddenly become larger in amount 突然增加,激增SYN explode
The company’s debt has ballooned in the past year.
在过去一年里,公司的债务激增。
2if someone balloons, they suddenly become fat 突然长胖
Paul ballooned after he got married.
保罗婚后吹气球似地胖了起来。
3GROW/GET BIGGERto get bigger and rounder 膨胀,鼓起来
The sheet flapped and ballooned in the wind.
被单在风中飘动,被吹得鼓鼓的。
Examples from the Corpus
balloon• The program's cost has ballooned from $270 million to more than $1 billion.• In recent years, the local police force has ballooned from two officers to 11.• Worse, hard drives in recent years have ballooned in size.• He looked at Angelina and overate, the right side of his. face ballooned like a heavyweightsquirrel.• As firms' share of totaldeposits has ballooned, so Sberbank's relative power has shrivelled.• He ballooned to 300 pounds since college.• In this view, hot, insulatedmantle wells up beneath a supercontinent, causing it to balloonupward.• Even as the black populationballooned, whites kept control of the City Council.
Originballoon1
(1500-1600)Frenchballon“large football, balloon”, from Italianballone“large football”, from balla“ball”