boomer

American  

[boo-mer] / ˈbu mər /

noun

1. Informal. baby boomer.

2. a period of sudden and decisive economic growth.

   July was a boomer for the retail trade.

3. a person who settles in areas or towns that are undergoing a period of rapid economic or population growth.

   He was among the first boomers to settle in the town when it began to grow.

4. Informal. a person, fad, etc., that enjoys a brief popularity or financial success.

   This season's hit album turned the group into a boomer.

5. a person or thing that booms.

   These speakers are real boomers with an amazing balance of bass to treble.

6. an enthusiastic supporter; booster.

   The boomers tell us our town can double its size.

7. Australian. a fully grown male kangaroo, especially a large one.

8. Navy Slang. a submarine that can fire intercontinental ballistic missiles and especially those equipped with a nuclear warhead.

9. Informal: Older Use. a wandering or migratory worker; hobo.

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boomer British  

/ ˈbuːmə /

noun

1. a large male kangaroo

2. informal anything exceptionally large

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Etymology

Origin of boomer

First recorded in 1820–30; 1975–80 boomer for def. 1; boom ¹ + -er ¹

Explanation

A boomer is someone who was born during the two decades after World War II. Boomers are part of an unusually large generation. The term boomer is shorthand for baby boomer, the official name for a generation usually defined as spanning 1946 to 1964. These days, some younger people think of boomers as old and out of touch. Advertisers, however, are eager to win their attention because, on average, they have money to spend — and because there are so many of them. The "boom" part of the word comes from the sharp spike in U.S. birth rates after World War II ended.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

boomer

Faye, and her husband/producing partner, have parlayed this notoriety into indie, cool-kid projects that are just commercial enough that some of the target audiences’ boomer parents may also watch.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026

But as an early baby boomer, he grew up in a time when the nation was steeped in anti-communism.

From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026

The wealth itself is real, accumulated by the baby boomer generation through four decades of strong stock markets, real-estate appreciation and pension benefits.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 17, 2026

The "baby boomer" owners of about six million American small and medium-sized companies will retire between now and 2035, says a report this year, external from business consulting firm McKinsey.

From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026

You see, the silent and boomer generations are old now.

From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh