boon
1 Americannoun
noun
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something extremely useful, helpful, or beneficial; a blessing or benefit
the car was a boon to him
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archaic a favour; request
he asked a boon of the king
adjective
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close, special, or intimate (in the phrase boon companion )
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archaic jolly or convivial
Other Word Forms
- boonless adjective
Etymology
Origin of boon1
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English bon(e) “praying, a prayer, favor asked for,” from Old Norse bōn “prayer, request, petition”; cognate with Old English bēn
Origin of boon2
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English bon(e), boun “good, goodly,” from Old French, from Latin bonus “good, expert”
Origin of boon3
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English (north) bun(n)e, bone “reed, stem, husk (of flax)”; compare Old English bune “reed; drinking cup”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
U.S. crude oil prices averaged about $65 a barrel last year, a boon to American drivers who were able to fill up their tanks for cheap, even as prices of coffee and ground beef surged.
While higher prices might seem a boon for OPEC+ countries, it in fact carries the risk of increasing competition from producers outside the cartel, such as the United States, Canada and Brazil.
From Barron's
Expanding service areas gives companies a chance to build leverage with suppliers and offer goods at lower prices, a potential boon to shoppers.
Generous access policies have made Unreal Engine a boon to online content creators.
From Barron's
Then again, AI might help companies in myriad industries become more efficient, which can be a boon to investors even as it disrupts the careers of workers in the affected industries.
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
