boom box

American  

noun

Informal.

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

---

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

Passersby walked on as a boom box tied to the car’s roof repeatedly blared the words “The Ixil people do remember” and played the judge’s genocide verdict.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2023

Everybody ran over toward the boom box, demanding a rewind.

From Salon • May 14, 2023

To the left there’s Raheem with his boom box balanced on his shoulder.

From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles