Meanings
balsam1
nounbalsam (countable and uncountable, plural balsams)
plural balsams · alternative balsem · alternative balsum · alternative balsome
- UKcountablefigurativelyuncountableSomething soothing.
Classical music is a sweet balsam for our sorrows
Synonyms: balm
- countableuncountableA flowering plant of the genus Impatiens.
Synonyms: jewelweed, impatiens, touch-me-not
- countableuncountableAny member of the balsam family of flowering plants (Balsaminaceae), which includes genera Impatiens and Hydrocera.
- countableuncountableA balsam fir (Abies balsamea).
- countableuncountableCanada balsam, a turpentine obtained from the resin of balsam fir.
- countableuncountableAny of various traditional European herbal liqueurs, originally used medicinally.
verbbalsam (third-person singular simple present balsams, present participle balsaming, simple past and past participle balsamed)
present singular third person balsams · participle present balsaming · participle past balsamed · past balsamed · alternative balsem · alternative balsum · alternative balsome
Balsam2
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA sweet-smelling oil or resin derived from various plants.
Similar
nounA plant or tree yielding such substance.
Similar
nounA soothing ointment.
Similar
nounSomething soothing.
Similar
nounA flowering plant of the genus Impatiens.
Origin
balsam · noun, verb
- Hebrewבושם“spice, perfume”
- Semitic
- Ancient Greekβάλσαμον“balsam”
- Latinbalsamum
- Englishbalsam
Borrowed from Latin balsamum, from Ancient Greek βάλσαμον (bálsamon, “balsam”), of Semitic origin (Hebrew בושם (“spice, perfume”)); compare Old English balsam, balsamum (“balsam, balm”), Doublet of balm and desman. Not related to balsa.
More words from Latin, Ancient Greek, Semitic
Full word history & related roots →Balsam · proper noun
- GermanBalsam
- EnglishBalsam
Borrowed from German Balsam, an occupational surname for a seller of perfumes. It could also be an English habitational surname, from Balsham, in Cambridgeshire.
More words from German
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek βάλσαμον, βάλσαμον
- βάλσαμον (bálsamon)sweet-smelling oil or resin derived from some plants
- βάλσαμον (bálsamon)plant or tree yielding such substance
Arabic بَلْسَم, مَرْهَم
- بَلْسَم (balsam)soothing ointment
- مَرْهَم (marham)soothing ointment
Bulgarian балса́м, мехле́м
- балса́м (balsám)soothing ointment
- мехле́м (mehlém)soothing ointment
Catalan bàlsam
- bàlsamsoothing ointment
Chinese Mandarin 香脂, 香膏
- 香脂 (xiāngzhī)soothing ointment
- 香膏 (xiānggāo)soothing ointment
- 香油 (xiāngyóu)soothing ointment
- 鳳仙花 /凤仙花 (fèngxiānhuā)flowering plant of the genus Impatiens
Czech balzám, balzám
- balzámsweet-smelling oil or resin derived from some plants
- balzámsoothing ointment
- balzámfigurative: something soothing
Danish balsam, balsamin
- balsamsoothing ointment
- balsaminflowering plant of the genus Impatiens
Dutch balsem, balsemboom
- balsemsweet-smelling oil or resin derived from some plants
- balsemboomplant or tree yielding such substance
- balsemsoothing ointment
- balsemfigurative: something soothing
- balsemienflowering plant of the genus Impatiens
- springzaadflowering plant of the genus Impatiens
Esperanto balzamo, balzamino
- balzamosweet-smelling oil or resin derived from some plants
- balzaminoplant or tree yielding such substance
- balzamosoothing ointment
- balzaminoflowering plant of the genus Impatiens
Estonian palsam
- palsamsoothing ointment
Finnish palsami, palsamipuu
- palsamisweet-smelling oil or resin derived from some plants
- palsamipuuplant or tree yielding such substance
- palsamisoothing ointment
- palsamifigurative: something soothing
- palsamiflowering plant of the genus Impatiens
- palsamikukkaflowering plant of the genus Impatiens
French pommade, baume
- pommadesweet-smelling oil or resin derived from some plants
- baumesoothing ointment
- balsamineflowering plant of the genus Impatiens
German Heilsalbe, Trost
- Heilsalbesweet-smelling oil or resin derived from some plants
- Trostsweet-smelling oil or resin derived from some plants
- Balsamsoothing ointment
- Trostsoothing ointment
- Balsamfigurative: something soothing
- Springkrautflowering plant of the genus Impatiens
Greek βάλσαμο, βαλσαμόδεντρο
- βάλσαμο (válsamo)sweet-smelling oil or resin derived from some plants
- βαλσαμόδεντρο (valsamódentro)plant or tree yielding such substance
- σπαθόχορτο (spathóchorto)plant or tree yielding such substance
- βάλσαμο (válsamo)soothing ointment
- βάλσαμο (válsamo)figurative: something soothing
- βάλσαμο (válsamo)flowering plant of the genus Impatiens
Hebrew צֳרִי
- צֳרִי (tsorí)soothing ointment
Hindi मरहम, मलहम
- मरहम (marham)soothing ointment
- मलहम (malham)soothing ointment
- बाम (bām)soothing ointment
- लेप (lep)soothing ointment
- औषधि (auṣdhi)soothing ointment
Hungarian balzsam
- balzsamsoothing ointment
Indonesian balsem
- balsemsoothing ointment
Irish balsam, balsam
- balsamsweet-smelling oil or resin derived from some plants
- balsamplant or tree yielding such substance
- balsaimínplant or tree yielding such substance
- balsamsoothing ointment
- íocshláintesoothing ointment
Italian balsamo, balsamo
- balsamosweet-smelling oil or resin derived from some plants
- balsamosoothing ointment
- unguentosoothing ointment
- pomatasoothing ointment
- balsamofigurative: something soothing
Japanese バルサム, 香油
- バルサム (barusamu)soothing ointment
- 香油 (kōyu)soothing ointment
- 傷薬 (kizugusuri)soothing ointment
- 鳳仙花 (hōsenka)flowering plant of the genus Impatiens
- ホウセンカ (hōsenka)flowering plant of the genus Impatiens
Korean 향유, 발삼
- 향유 (hyang'yu)soothing ointment
- 발삼 (balsam)soothing ointment
- 봉선화 (bongseonhwa)flowering plant of the genus Impatiens
- 봉숭아 (bongsung'a)flowering plant of the genus Impatiens
Latvian balzams
- balzamssoothing ointment
Lithuanian balzamas
- balzamassoothing ointment
Malay balasan, balsam
- balasansoothing ointment
- balsamsoothing ointment
Māori pama, pāma
- pamasweet-smelling oil or resin derived from some plants
- pāmasweet-smelling oil or resin derived from some plants
- pōtamasweet-smelling oil or resin derived from some plants
- (hinu) panikirisoothing ointment
Norwegian Bokmål balsam
- balsamsoothing ointment
Polish balsam, balsam
- balsamsweet-smelling oil or resin derived from some plants
- balsamsoothing ointment
- balsamfigurative: something soothing
- niecierpekflowering plant of the genus Impatiens
Portuguese bálsamo, bálsamo
- bálsamosweet-smelling oil or resin derived from some plants
- bálsamosoothing ointment
- balsaminaflowering plant of the genus Impatiens
Romanian balsam, balsam
- balsamsweet-smelling oil or resin derived from some plants
- balsamsoothing ointment
Russian бальза́м
- бальза́м (balʹzám)soothing ointment
Slovak balzam
- balzamsoothing ointment
Spanish bálsamo, bálsamo
- bálsamosweet-smelling oil or resin derived from some plants
- bálsamosoothing ointment
- balsaminaflowering plant of the genus Impatiens
Swedish balsam, balsam
- balsamsweet-smelling oil or resin derived from some plants
- balsamsoothing ointment
Tagalog pampalubag-loob
- pampalubag-loobfigurative: something soothing
Thai ยาหม่อง, หม่อง
- ยาหม่อง (yaa-mɔ̀ng)soothing ointment
- หม่อง (mɔ̀ng)soothing ointment
Turkish balsam
- balsamsoothing ointment
Ukrainian бальза́м
- бальза́м (balʹzám)soothing ointment
Urdu مَرْہَم
- مَرْہَم (marham)soothing ointment
Vietnamese nhựa thơm
- nhựa thơmsoothing ointment
Welsh ffromlys
- ffromlysflowering plant of the genus Impatiens
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with balsam
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
balsam. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/balsam
MLA
“balsam.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/balsam. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “balsam,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/balsam.
Source: balsam on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.