ballast up
C1 neutral separable transitive
In simple words
To put heavy material into a ship or vehicle so it doesn't tip over.
Literal meaning: To fill up with ballast — transparent in meaning.
Meanings
1 C1 neutral
To add heavy material to a vessel or vehicle so that it sits lower in the water or moves more stably.
"Before setting sail, the crew ballasted up the ship to handle the rough seas ahead."
Grammar: separable
Usage notes
Technical term used primarily in nautical, aviation, and engineering contexts. Ballast can be water, sand, or any heavy material added for balance. Rarely used outside specialist fields.
Commonly used with
ship vessel tank hull aircraft submarine
Forms
Base
ballast up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
ballasts up
he/she/it
Past simple
ballasted up
yesterday
Past participle
ballasted up
have + pp
-ing form
ballasting up
continuous
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Synonyms
stabilise weight load balance trim steady
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Practice "ballast up" on Looplines