Balanced — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /ˈba-lən(t)st/ bal·anced

Meaning & Definition of Balanced

Balanced (adjective)

  1. being in a state of balance, having different parts or elements properly or effectively arranged, proportioned, regulated, considered, etc.

Balanced (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. having full use of one's mind and control over one's actions

    "no balanced person would believe that their dog's bark was actually the voice of God"

    similar: clearheaded, compos mentis, lucid, normal, right, sane, stable
    related: analytic, clear, coherent, logical, rational, reasonable, even-keeled, judicious, levelheaded, sensible, wise, healthy, sound, unneurotic, well-adjusted, well-balanced
    opposite: brainsick, crazed (sometimes offensive), crazy (usually offensive), daft (chiefly British, informal), demented, deranged (often offensive), insane, loco (slang), mad, maniacal, mental (sometimes offensive), unbalanced, unhinged, unsound
    near: bananas, batty, dotty, loopy, aberrant, delirious, disordered, delusional, delusionary, disturbed, eccentric, odd, oddball, off, pixilated, potty (chiefly British), queer, strange, foolish, senseless, witless, irrational, mixed-up, unreasonable, depressed, despondent, distracted, distraught, frantic, frenzied, hysterical, raving, wigged-out, amok, ape, ballistic, berserk, nuclear, fixated, monomaniac, monomaniacal, obsessed

  2. having the parts agreeably related

    "a balanced arrangement of the furniture made the room look more spacious"

    similar: congruous, consonant, eurythmic, harmonic, harmonious
    related: even, proportioned, regular, symmetrical, aesthetic, artistic, becoming, elegant, graceful, tasteful, agreeable, felicitous, pleasant, pleasing, satisfying, coherent, cohesive, compatible, coordinated, correspondent, matched, matching, Apollinian, Apollonian
    opposite: disharmonic, disharmonious, incongruous, inharmonic, inharmonious, unbalanced
    near: asymmetrical, disordered, irregular, skewed, unequal, uneven, unsymmetrical, distasteful, graceless, inartistic, inelegant, tasteless, unaesthetic, unbecoming, ungraceful, unlovely, disagreeable, displeasing, dissatisfying, infelicitous, unfortunate, unpleasant, unsightly, clashing, conflicting, disunited, incompatible, uncoordinated

Balanced (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to make equal in amount, degree, or status

    "tried to balance the total amount of money spent on gifts for each child"

    similar: equalized, equated, evened, leveled
    related: equilibrated, equipoised, accommodated, adjusted, compensated, fitted, counterbalanced, homogenized, normalized, regularized, standardized, democratized
    near: disequilibrated

  2. to show uncertainty about the right course of action

    "his tendency to balance and waffle on certain hot-button issues may hurt him in the general election"

    similar: dithered, faltered, halted, hesitated, hung back, scrupled, shilly-shallied, staggered, teetered, vacillated, wavered, wobbled
    related: hawed, hemmed, dallied, dawdled, delayed, lingered, paused, procrastinated, waited, backed down, chickened (out), considered, debated, deliberated, pondered, weighed, oscillated, swayed, equivocated, hedged, pussyfooted, waffled
    opposite: dived (in), plunged (in)
    near: decided, budged, stirred, advanced, continued

  3. to give what is owed for

    "she had to balance her account with the hotel before checking out of her room"

    similar: anted (up), cleared, discharged, footed, liquidated, met, paid, paid off, paid up, ponied up, quit, recompensed, settled, sprang (for), stood
    opposite: repudiated

Related Entry: Balance (noun)

Balance is a different word from Balanced. The synonyms below are for balance, not for balanced.

  1. a condition in which opposing forces are equal to one another

    "in order to determine the weight of that beaker, you need to get the two pans of the scale in perfect balance"

    similar: counterpoise, equilibration, equilibrium, equipoise, poise, stasis
    related: counterbalance, offset, firmness, fixedness, security, stability, steadiness
    opposite: disequilibration, disequilibrium, imbalance, nonequilibrium, unbalance
    near: changeability, fluctuation, inconstancy, insecurity, instability, mutability, precariousness, shakiness, unsteadiness, volatility

  2. a balanced, pleasing, or suitable arrangement of parts

    "the balance of the landscaping is in keeping with the symmetry of so many 18th-century mansions"

    similar: coherence, concinnity, consonance, consonancy, harmony, orchestration, proportion, symmetry, symphony, unity
    related: coordination, correlation, correspondence, equalization, equilibrium, evenness, order, orderliness, regularity, uniformity
    opposite: asymmetry, discordance, disproportion, disunity, imbalance, incoherence, violence
    near: confusion, disorganization, dissonance, disturbance, tension, disconnectedness, disjointedness, incompatibility, irregularity, unevenness

  3. a device for measuring weight

    "use a balance to make sure you get the amounts precisely correct"

    similar: scale
    related: gravimeter

  4. a force or influence that makes an opposing force ineffective or less effective

    "the balance to the mountain of complaints are the many letters of praise that we also receive"

    similar: canceler, corrective, counter, counteraction, counterbalance, counterforce, counterpoise, counterweight, equipoise, neutralizer, offset
    related: trade-off, ballast, weight

  5. a remaining group or portion

    "and the balance of the contestants should stand in that last corner"

    similar: leavings, leftovers, odds and ends, remainder, remains, remnant, residue, residuum, rest
    related: fragment, scrap, vestige, butt, oddment, scraping(s), stub, stump, excess, fat, overabundance, overage, overflow, overkill, overmuch, oversupply, superabundance, superfluity, surfeit, surplus
    near: body, bulk, main, mass, most, weight

Related Entry: Balance (verb)

Balance is a different word from Balanced. The synonyms below are for balance, not for balanced.

  1. to make equal in amount, degree, or status

    "tried to balance the total amount of money spent on gifts for each child"

    similar: equalize, equate, even, level
    related: equilibrate, equipoise, accommodate, adjust, compensate, fit, counterbalance, homogenize, normalize, regularize, standardize, democratize
    near: disequilibrate

  2. to show uncertainty about the right course of action

    "his tendency to balance and waffle on certain hot-button issues may hurt him in the general election"

    similar: dither, falter, halt, hang back, hesitate, scruple, shilly-shally, stagger, teeter, vacillate, waver, wobble
    related: haw, hem, dally, dawdle, delay, linger, pause, procrastinate, wait, back down, chicken (out), consider, debate, deliberate, ponder, weigh, oscillate, sway, equivocate, hedge, pussyfoot, waffle
    opposite: dive (in), plunge (in)
    near: decide, budge, stir, advance, continue

  3. to give what is owed for

    "she had to balance her account with the hotel before checking out of her room"

    similar: ante (up), clear, discharge, foot, liquidate, meet, pay, pay off, pay up, pony up, quit, recompense, settle, spring (for), stand
    opposite: repudiate

Related Entry: Well-balanced (adjective)

Well-balanced is a different word from Balanced. The synonyms below are for well-balanced, not for balanced.

  1. able to deal with one's own life and with other people in a normal or healthy way

    "She has many close friends and is remarkably well-balanced for someone who has dealt with her fair share of family problems."

    similar: even, even-keeled, steady, well-adjusted, calm, collected, composed, cool, coolheaded, equal, level, limpid, peaceful, placid, possessed, recollected, sedate, self-composed, self-possessed, serene, smooth, together, tranquil, undisturbed, unperturbed, unruffled, unshaken, untroubled, unworried, imperturbable, nerveless, unflappable, unshakable, centered, disciplined, equable, self-contained, self-controlled, affable, breezy, devil-may-care, easygoing, happy-go-lucky, laid-back, loosey-goosey, mellow, carefree, nonchalant, unconcerned, assured, confident, self-assured
    opposite: maladjusted, unbalanced, agitated, discomposed, disturbed, flustered, perturbed, unglued, unhinged, unstrung, upset, anxious, bothered, distressed, uneasy, unquiet, unsettled, worried, jittery, jumpy, nervous, restless, skittish, tense, high-strung, unstable, uptight

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Balanced

The most common words with a similar meaning to Balanced:

clearheaded, compos mentis, lucid, normal, right, sane, stable, congruous, consonant, eurythmic, harmonic, harmonious, equalized, equated, evened, leveled, dithered, faltered, halted, hesitated, hung back, scrupled, shilly-shallied, staggered, teetered, vacillated, wavered, wobbled, anted (up), cleared, discharged, footed, liquidated, met, paid, paid off, paid up, ponied up, quit, recompensed

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Balanced

Words with the opposite meaning of Balanced:

brainsick, crazed, crazy, daft, demented, deranged, insane, loco, mad, maniacal, mental, unbalanced, unhinged, unsound, disharmonic, disharmonious, incongruous, inharmonic, inharmonious, dived (in), plunged (in), repudiated

Related Words for Balanced

analytic, clear, coherent, logical, rational, reasonable, even-keeled, judicious, levelheaded, sensible, wise, healthy, sound, unneurotic, well-adjusted, well-balanced, even, proportioned, regular, symmetrical, aesthetic, artistic, becoming, elegant, graceful, tasteful, agreeable, felicitous, pleasant, pleasing

Near Antonyms of Balanced

bananas, batty, dotty, loopy, aberrant, delirious, disordered, delusional, delusionary, disturbed, eccentric, odd, oddball, off, pixilated, potty, queer, strange, foolish, senseless, witless, irrational, mixed-up, unreasonable, depressed, despondent, distracted, distraught, frantic, frenzied

Origin & Etymology of Balanced

First known use: 1611

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Balanced

Words & Phrases Containing Balanced

well-balanced

Frequently Asked Questions about Balanced

What does "Balanced" mean?

"Balanced" means being in a state of balance, having different parts or elements properly or effectively arranged, proportioned, regulated, considered, etc.. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: being in a state of balance, having different parts or elements properly or effectively arranged, proportioned, regulated, considered, etc.. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Balanced"?

Other words for "Balanced" include clearheaded, compos mentis, lucid, normal, right, sane, stable and congruous. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Balanced" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Balanced"?

There are 116 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Balanced". Common alternatives include clearheaded, compos mentis, lucid, normal, right, sane, stable, congruous, consonant and eurythmic.

What is the opposite of "Balanced"?

Antonyms of "Balanced" include brainsick, crazed, crazy, daft, demented, deranged, insane and loco. Near antonyms include bananas, batty, dotty and loopy.

How do you use "Balanced" in a sentence?

Examples of "Balanced" in a sentence: "no balanced person would believe that their dog's bark was actually the voice of God"; "a balanced arrangement of the furniture made the room look more spacious"; "tried to balance the total amount of money spent on gifts for each child".

Is "Balanced" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Balanced" can be used as an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Balanced" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Balanced" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Balanced"?

"Balanced" is pronounced /ˈba-lən(t)st/ and divided into syllables as bal·anced.