Dictionary.com

Popular Searches

 Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

boost

American  
[boost] / bust /

verb (used with object)

  1. to lift or raise by pushing from behind or below.

  2. to advance or aid by speaking well of; promote.

    She always boosts her hometown.

  3. to increase; raise.

    to boost prices;

    to boost the horsepower of the car by 20 percent.

  4. to administer a booster shot to.

    Have you and your family been boosted yet?

  5. Slang. to steal, especially to shoplift.

    Two computers were boosted from the office last night.

verb (used without object)

  1. Slang. to engage in stealing, especially shoplifting.

noun

  1. an upward shove or raise; lift.

  2. an increase; rise.

    There's been a tremendous boost in food prices.
    Synonyms:
    uptick, upswing, upsurge, growth, hike

  3. an act, remark, or the like, that helps one's progress, morale, efforts, etc..

    His pep talk was the boost our team needed.
boost British  
/ buːst /

noun

  1. encouragement, improvement, or help

    a boost to morale

  2. an upward thrust or push

    he gave him a boost over the wall

  3. an increase or rise

    a boost in salary

  4. a publicity campaign; promotion

  5. the amount by which the induction pressure of a supercharged internal-combustion engine exceeds that of the ambient pressure

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to encourage, assist, or improve

    to boost morale

  2. to lift by giving a push from below or behind

  3. to increase or raise

    to boost the voltage in an electrical circuit

  4. to cause to rise; increase

    to boost sales

  5. to advertise on a big scale

  6. to increase the induction pressure of (an internal-combustion engine) above that of the ambient pressure; supercharge

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
boost Scientific  
/ bo̅o̅st /

  1. A linear map from one reference frame to another in which each coordinate is increased or decreased by an independent constant or linear function. A boost corresponds to a shift of the entire coordinate system without any rotation of its axes.

Etymology

Origin of boost

An Americanism dating back to 1815–25; perhaps Scots dialect boose (variant of pouss push ) + (hoi)st

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.

Want to boost muscle mass and speed up recovery?

From BBC

Analysts had expected the Saudi Arabia-led cartel to agree Sunday to boost output from April.

From The Wall Street Journal

Reuters reported that Saudi Arabia has also boosted production and exports as a precaution in case a strike disrupts flows.

From Barron's

Reuters reported that Saudi Arabia has also boosted production and exports as a precaution in case a strike disrupts flows.

From Barron's

Reuters reported that Saudi Arabia has also boosted production and exports as a precaution in case a strike disrupts flows.

From Barron's

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.