ballooning Definition

balloon
noun

1. A small, usually brightly-coloured, rubber pouch with a neck, that can be inflated with air or gas and used as a toy or decoration, etc.
2. A large bag made of light material and filled with a light gas or hot air, designed to float in the air carrying people, or weather-recording instruments, etc in a basket underneath.
3. A balloon-shaped outline containing the words or thoughts of a character in a cartoon.

verb ballooned, ballooning

intr
1. To swell out like a balloon.

Thesaurus: bloat, swell, expand, inflate, billow, bulge, distend.
intr
2. To increase dramatically.

Example: Food prices ballooned this spring
intr
3. To travel by balloon.
(Brit)
4. To kick or propel by some other means (a ball, etc) high into the air.
5. To inflate.

Derivative: ballooning
noun

Derivative: balloonist
noun

A person who travels in a balloon, especially for recreation.

Idiom: when the balloon goes up

When the trouble, fuss or excitement starts

Etymology: 1920s phrase; in World War I observation balloons were launched soon before an attack was to begin. &clock; 16c in the sense ‘large ball' or ‘football': from Italian ballone.