ball and chain
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
One's spouse, especially a wife, as a symbol of restraint.
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
người phối ngẫu, đặc biệt là vợ, như một biểu tượng của sự kiềm chế
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Register: derogatory, slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
Near-synonyms: other half (neutral valence), better half (positive valence)
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “ball and chain” mean?
One's spouse, especially a wife, as a symbol of restraint.
Is “ball and chain” formal or informal?
ball and chain is generally derogatory, slang.