a small bag made of very thin rubber that becomes larger and rounder when you fill it with air or gas. Balloons are brightly coloured and used as decorations or toys. 气球 to blow up/burst/pop a balloon 吹起气球；使气球爆裂 My balloon has burst! 我的气球爆了！ A thousand balloons were released to mark the event. 一千个气球被放飞来纪念这一事件。 They tied the balloons to the back of the car. 他们将气球系在车后。 helium balloons for the children's party 儿童聚会用的氦气球
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- helium
- water
- colourful/colorful
- …
- blow up
- inflate
- burst
- …
- burst
- pop
- (also hot-air balloon)
a large balloon made of strong material that is filled with hot air or gas to make it rise in the air, usually carrying a basket for passengers 热气球 
We went up in a balloon. 我们乘着气球向上升。 She crossed the Atlantic in a hot-air balloon. 她乘热气球穿越大西洋。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- barrage
- hot-air
- weather
- …
- go up in
- launch
- release
- …
- float by
- float over
- float up
- …
- flight
- race
- in a balloon
Word Originlate 16th cent. (originally denoting a game played with a large inflated leather ball): from French ballon or Italian ballone ‘large ball’.
Idioms
go down like a lead balloon
- (informal)
to be very unsuccessful; to not be accepted by people 非常失败；不被接受 My suggestion went down like a lead balloon. 我的建议很快就被采纳了。
when the balloon goes up
- (British English, informal)
when the trouble that you are expecting begins 意料中的麻烦出现时；（不出所料）出乱子时 We have to get out of here before the balloon goes up! 我们必须在气球升起之前离开这里！