ball and chain
English · Thesaurus
AI In plain words
Writing a short explanation…
Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
ball and chain
noun balls and chains
- A heavy iron ball attached to a prisoner's leg by a chain as a means of restraint. In those days a prisoner here had to carry his ball and chain when he was walking to the chow hall.
-
One's spouse, especially a wife, as a symbol of restraint.
Near-synonyms: other half (neutral valence), better half (positive valence)
Similar: other half, better half
- Anything that restricts one's freedom or opportunities. His boss turned his conscientiousness into a ball and chain by giving him all the hard jobs.
Translations
Every language
noun means of restraint
| Français | boulet |
|---|
Talk about this word "ball and chain." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/ball%20and%20chain. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. ball and chain. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/ball%20and%20chain "ball and chain." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/ball%20and%20chain.Cite this
@misc{ball_and_chain_2026,
title = {ball and chain},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/ball%20and%20chain},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
