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.
But as a barometer for near-term market sentiment, the debut is a stark reminder that Wall Street’s patience with emergent tech has its limits.
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
The barometer is now at its highest since January 2022, the survey said.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026
The main inflation barometer preferred by Federal Reserve rose to a three-year high in April and it could rise even higher, posing a stiff challenge for households, businesses and the broader U.S. economy.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 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
Much later, Pascal drew upon Galileo’s work when studying pressures in liquids in order to understand how the air supports a column of mercury in a barometer.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
