barometer
Americannoun
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Meteorology. any instrument that measures atmospheric pressure.
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anything that indicates changes.
noun
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an instrument for measuring atmospheric pressure, usually to determine altitude or weather changes
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anything that shows change or impending change
the barometer of social change
Discover More
In general, when the barometer falls in response to a drop in pressure, bad weather is approaching; when the barometer rises because of an increase in pressure, good weather will follow.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of barometer
Explanation
A barometer is a device that measures atmospheric pressure. Barometers help meteorologists figure out what the weather is going to be like. Sure, it's technically a weather man's tool — but you can use barometer more generally to describe anything that can be used to forecast or measure something else. The stock market is a barometer for economic health. Your grades are a barometer of how you're doing in school. For the President, a national poll is a barometer of political success. These kinds of barometers tell which way the wind is blowing — just not literally.
Vocabulary lists containing barometer
Physical Geography - Introductory
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Weather and Climate - Introductory
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Physical Geography - Middle School
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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.
“Brent crude oil prices remain below $100 per barrel—a good barometer of how talks between Tehran and Washington are perceived to be progressing,” AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould said.
From Barron's • May 27, 2026
The 10-year Treasury yield, a barometer for mortgage rate movements, increased roughly 0.11 percentage point between Thursday, May 14 and Wednesday, May 20—roughly the period reflected in Freddie Mac’s weekly average.
From Barron's • May 21, 2026
Nvidia—the world’s most valuable company—reports first-quarter earnings after market close Wednesday, with investors watching the artificial-intelligence barometer for an indication of the broader tech industry’s health.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026
But that still leaves Wall Street’s main equity barometer just a fraction below this month’s fresh record high.
From MarketWatch • May 18, 2026
I considered him a pretty good barometer, and if he went to his tree early, I went to mine early too.
From "My Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
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.
