boon
1 Americannoun
noun
-
something extremely useful, helpful, or beneficial; a blessing or benefit
the car was a boon to him
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archaic a favour; request
he asked a boon of the king
adjective
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close, special, or intimate (in the phrase boon companion )
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archaic jolly or convivial
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of boon1
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English bon(e) “praying, a prayer, favor asked for,” from Old Norse bōn “prayer, request, petition”; cognate with Old English bēn
Origin of boon2
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English bon(e), boun “good, goodly,” from Old French, from Latin bonus “good, expert”
Origin of boon3
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English (north) bun(n)e, bone “reed, stem, husk (of flax)”; compare Old English bune “reed; drinking cup”
Explanation
Boon means something beneficial to a specific person, entity, or cause. "Getting called out of school on the day of the test was a boon for Sam, as he hadn't remembered to study." Boon derives from the Old Norse bón, a request for a favor. Think of a boon as a favor that no one has necessarily asked for, something extra. "We'd just spent our last dollar on a cup of coffee so it was a real boon to find a ten dollar bill lying on the sidewalk." Boon can also be an adjective for someone friendly and welcoming, as in "a boon companion."
Vocabulary lists containing boon
100 SAT Words Beginning with "B"
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Mythology
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Beowulf vocabulary
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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.
Just as AI is useful for lazy students who don’t want to write that term paper, it’s an unnatural boon for a narcissistic con man.
From Salon • May 23, 2026
The data center boom has often seemed like a burden on Dominion and its customers, rather than a boon.
From Barron's • May 19, 2026
It was a boon for Kentucky, bringing more infrastructure, fancy steakhouses and transplants, some of whom hoped to strike it rich making what the industry calls America’s native spirit.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026
That’s as much as $37 billion in bonuses—a mid-single digit share of GDP—and a boon to other Korean companies.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
It proved such a financial boon that when the family’s third son was born that year, Elias in gratitude wanted to name him Columbus.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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.
