bonanza
Americannoun
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a rich mass of ore, as found in mining.
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a source of great and sudden wealth or luck; a spectacular windfall.
The play proved to be a bonanza for its lucky backers.
noun
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a source, usually sudden and unexpected, of luck or wealth
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a mine or vein rich in ore
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 )
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.
The record number followed a bonanza year for Gotham’s investment banking powerhouses, though it fell well short of the city’s projections.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
The record high payouts for securities industry employees come after a bonanza year for New York City’s investment banking powerhouses.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026
They reflect a cutthroat competition occurring between weight-loss drugmakers in the US, as they look to capitalise on a potential sales bonanza in the country, where the obesity rate among adults is roughly 40%.
From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026
The British capital will once again host its Autumn/Winter fashion week from Thursday to Monday, after New York's bonanza and before the catwalk carousel moves to Milan and Paris.
From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026
Sometimes Francie came across a bonanza: the bottom of a discarded wash boiler.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
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.
