boon
1 American
noun
noun
-
something extremely useful, helpful, or beneficial; a blessing or benefit
the car was a boon to him
-
archaic a favour; request
he asked a boon of the king
adjective
-
close, special, or intimate (in the phrase boon companion )
-
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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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.
This has been a boon to underwriting profits.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
Though problems with fish farming have arisen worldwide, for some countries, it aquaculture has been a boon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
Li’s presence at the company could also be a boon for AMD’s credibility among AI researchers and therefore help with recruiting talent, Acree said.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
The workaround was a boon for EV maker Tesla.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
“That abomination has been something of a boon for my business.”
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
