barometer

American  

[buh-rom-i-ter] / bəˈrɒm ɪ tər /

noun

• barometers
  plural

1. Meteorology. any instrument that measures atmospheric pressure.

2. anything that indicates changes.

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barometer British  

/ bəˈrɒmɪtə /

noun

1. an instrument for measuring atmospheric pressure, usually to determine altitude or weather changes

2. anything that shows change or impending change

   the barometer of social change

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barometer Scientific  

/ bə-rŏm′ĭ-tər /

1. An instrument for measuring atmospheric pressure. Barometers are used in determining height above sea level and in forecasting the weather. The two primary types of barometers are the aneroid and the mercury barometer.

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barometer Cultural  

1. An instrument that measures atmospheric pressure.

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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

• barometry
  noun
• barometric
  adjective
• barometrical
  adjective
• barometrically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• barometers
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of barometer

First recorded in 1655–65; baro- + -meter

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

barometer barometers

Seoul, seen by many as a barometer of the AI trade, sank more than one percent, while there were also losses in Tokyo, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Sydney, Singapore and Manila.

From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026

Thursday was yet another example of domestic football being a lousy barometer of Celtic's capacity to win - or even draw - games in Europe.

From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026

Which of those three possibilities—the story flopping, working, or backfiring—emerges is an important barometer of where we stand in 2026, and whether the truth still has any purchase in our modern era.

From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026

The Paramount financing will be a closely watched barometer of the appetite for dealmaking despite rising borrowing costs in 2026.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026

His frustration over it went up and down like a barometer, the climate being the extent to which he was able to comprehend and resolve whatever mathematical problem preoccupied him at any given moment.

From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok

Both are considered barometers for the economy’s health.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026

If the Dodgers choose not to mess with team success, they would not afford Yamamoto the chance to hit either of those traditional barometers of excellence.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 8, 2026

Corporate credit spreads — one of the most closely watched market barometers of economic stress — have remained relatively tame.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 7, 2026

And special elections, while useful metrics, are far from perfect barometers of public opinion.

From Salon ● Mar. 1, 2026

Boyle was right, however, to claim that his results were very similar to those previously obtained in experiments with barometers.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

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