boom box

American  

noun

Informal.

1. a large, powerful portable radio and often cassette or CD player.

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Etymology

Origin of boom box

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

He’s going to come to set with a boom box and blast, like, Phil Collins.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 2, 2026

She said the clip, which went viral, felt almost like "he was standing outside of my apartment, holding a boom box saying, 'I want to go on a date with you'".

From BBC • Aug. 13, 2025

Watching him come out on a bare stage with a boom box and say, "I've got a tape I want to play," or ask, "Does anybody have any questions?" is charming.

From Salon • Sep. 21, 2023

Kids 2 also owns Baby Einstein, a brand I recognized from a ubiquitous colorful boom box that plays classical melodies, songs that I tired of far more quickly than my beloved Buggie’s melody.

From New York Times • Dec. 23, 2022

They weren’t sure if what we were doing was right, but they knew what to do about a loud boom box.

From "145th Street: Short Stories" by Walter Dean Myers