bonanza

American  

[buh-nan-zuh, boh-] / bəˈnæn zə, boʊ- /

noun

• bonanzas
  plural

1. a rich mass of ore, as found in mining.

2. a source of great and sudden wealth or luck; a spectacular windfall.

   The play proved to be a bonanza for its lucky backers.

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bonanza British  

/ bəˈnænzə /

noun

1. a source, usually sudden and unexpected, of luck or wealth

2. a mine or vein rich in ore

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• bonanzas
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of bonanza

An Americanism first recorded in 1835–45; from Spanish: “calm sea, prosperity, abundance of minerals,” nasalized variant of Medieval Latin bonacia, alteration (with influence from Latin bonus “good,” possibly to avoid confusion with malus “bad”) of Latin malacia “calm sea,” from Greek malakía “softness” ( malak(ós) “soft” + -ia -ia )

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Explanation

An unexpected increase in tourism to a small town could be a bonanza for the locals. Bonanza means "a sudden opportunity to make money." Bonanza is a noun that means "a sudden rush of wealth or good fortune," but in a more scientific sense it means "a rich source of a precious metal." So, if you happen to strike gold in your backyard, that would be a bonanza on both fronts. "Boom towns" that sprung up during the California Gold Rush were created by a bonanza. More casually, bonanza can mean something like "a big to-do," or an extravaganza.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bonanza bonanzas

Shares in US tech giants were pummeled on Friday, capping a week of earnings results that raised questions on Wall Street about whether the AI spending bonanza was sustainable.

From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026

Or that this investment bonanza has already blown all the hyperscalers’ annual cashflow, and then some?

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 27, 2026

The shuttle-run bonanza is trickling down to individual sailors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

But if it delivers a wet punch, it will also bring an upside: a bonanza of water.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2026

The passage of Prohibition had only compounded the territory’s feeling of lawlessness by encouraging organized crime and creating, in the words of one historian, “the greatest criminal bonanza in American history.”

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

Such offerings can be fee bonanzas for the teams of banks involved.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 11, 2026

The researchers suggest that these young eagles could be taking advantage of seasonal food bonanzas such as spawning salmon, nesting waterfowl, or carcasses of large mammals.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 11, 2025

Some merchants — a cheesemonger, a produce vendor, a baker — said that they had long counted local householders as their main customers, but that picnic-sized portions for tourists yielded cash bonanzas.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2024

It didn’t erase all that went sideways during the losses, or even prior victories that were goal-scoring bonanzas in which defensive play was abandoned.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 21, 2022

The cotton mills in Mississippi have proved bonanzas for the owners.

From The Rise of Cotton Mills in the South by Broadus Mitchell

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Related Words

• cash cow
• treasure trove

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