boom-and-bust

American  

[boom-uhn-buhst] / ˈbum ənˈbʌst /

adjective

1. characteristic of a period of economic prosperity followed by a depression.

---

Etymology

Origin of boom-and-bust

First recorded in 1940–45

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

boom-and-bust

Smith says the AI era won’t follow the familiar boom-and-bust pattern that has defined many investment cycles such as telecom and the dot-com era.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

And history suggests that if the AI-driven boom ends the way other boom-and-bust eras have, healthcare could outperform for years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

As the rest of the nation has experienced large boom-and-bust cycles and now faces a persistent housing-affordability crisis, home prices in certain Midwestern cities have been mostly flat for more than a century.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 22, 2026

In Shih’s view, the long-term agreements are a way for Micron to “smooth out these boom-and-bust cycles that they’ve been a victim to in the past.”

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 3, 2026

From 1926 on, Odessa became forever enmeshed in the cycles of the boom-and-bust oil town.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---