boost
Americanverb (used with object)
-
boosts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
boosted,
past participle, past
-
boosting
present participle
-
to lift or raise by pushing from behind or below.
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to advance or aid by speaking well of; promote.
She always boosts her hometown.
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to boost prices;
to boost the horsepower of the car by 20 percent.
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to administer a booster shot to.
Have you and your family been boosted yet?
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Slang. to steal, especially to shoplift.
Two computers were boosted from the office last night.
verb (used without object)
-
boosts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
boosted,
past participle, past
-
boosting
present participle
noun
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encouragement, improvement, or help
a boost to morale
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an upward thrust or push
he gave him a boost over the wall
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an increase or rise
a boost in salary
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a publicity campaign; promotion
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the amount by which the induction pressure of a supercharged internal-combustion engine exceeds that of the ambient pressure
verb
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to encourage, assist, or improve
to boost morale
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to lift by giving a push from below or behind
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to increase or raise
to boost the voltage in an electrical circuit
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to cause to rise; increase
to boost sales
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to advertise on a big scale
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to increase the induction pressure of (an internal-combustion engine) above that of the ambient pressure; supercharge
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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boostsimple
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boostssimple
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have boostedperfect
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has boostedperfect
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am boostingprogressive
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are boostingprogressive
-
is boostingprogressive
-
have been boostingperfect progressive
-
has been boostingperfect progressive
Past
-
boostedsimple
-
had boostedperfect
-
was boostingprogressive
-
were boostingprogressive
-
had been boostingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of boost
An Americanism dating back to 1815–25; perhaps Scots dialect boose (variant of pouss push ) + (hoi)st
Explanation
Think of the word boost as meaning "help up." Maybe you need a boost getting over a fence (hmm — are you sneaking in or sneaking out?), or maybe you are feeling low and need to boost your spirits — chocolate, anyone? Sometimes words appear that really don't have any clear origins. Boost is one of those words, but it's a fun word, and it's thought that maybe it has some connection to boose, a Scots dialect word that carries the idea of a push. A slang meaning of the word is to sneakily steal, like shoplifting. You gave your cousin a boost into the window, not knowing he was planning on boosting some sneakers.
Vocabulary lists containing boost
Common Five-letter Words for Wordle, List 2
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Higher Learning: Synonyms For "Up"
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"Laws are not the only way to boost immunization”: an editorial from Nature
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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.
See Examples For:
Burger chains have leaned on value menus to try to boost traffic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
He says it has given him a "self-confidence boost".
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
“The productivity boost and cost savings from AI will come later,” they added.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026
Winfrey’s influence was, and still is, so potent that marketing pros called the boost in sales following an endorsement “the Oprah Effect.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
While musicians and instrument-makers were finding ways of expanding the expressive range of what they could play, historical destiny was going to hand the bass line an unexpected boost.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
The impasse lifts oil prices and boosts expectations for interest-rate rises by the Federal Reserve, hitting risk sentiment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
His arrival immediately raises the club's global profile, boosts commercial opportunities and provides one of the most marketable footballers of the modern era.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
The story looks similar for most other top yielders in the index, a few of which also got temporary sales boosts from the pandemic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
An outdoor shower boosts the price by 4.3%, and outdoor fireplaces add 2.8%.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026
“What happens to her when Mr. Curtain boosts the power all the way? She’s already hearing voices, you know!”
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
Berkshire Hathaway boosted its stake in Alphabet by about 80% to 106 million shares.
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
The men's football World Cup, which kicked off mid-June, boosted customers at hospitality venues showing the matches.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Since the pandemic, several new or revamped lodgings have boosted glamping and other upscale elements in a territory once better known for old cabins.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
No other country has simultaneously deepened ties with the U.S., maintained a close strategic relationship with China, boosted defense cooperation with Turkey, and kept channels open to Iran, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
Smith loaded weight onto his back, boosted an exercise rider aboard, and turned him loose.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
While managerial changes provide unfamiliarity for some of Arsenal's rivals, it is hard to argue that some of those have every chance of boosting their title chances.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
The streamer ordered more, boosting the budget but keeping the original crew in control.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
The effects of boosting rainfall through cloud seeding remain uncertain, its consequences difficult to measure, and its large-scale application costly.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
It has a team working off of a master list of desired tenants, boosting Burbank for consideration for popular shops, restaurants and cafes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
The two brave sailors who had jumped into the water after him were boosting him up the net.
From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys
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.
