boost

American  

[boost] / bust /

verb (used with object)

boosts, present (3rd person singular) boosted, past participle, past boosting present participle

1. to lift or raise by pushing from behind or below.

2. to advance or aid by speaking well of; promote.

   She always boosts her hometown.

3. to increase; raise.

   to boost prices;

   to boost the horsepower of the car by 20 percent.

4. to administer a booster shot to.

   Have you and your family been boosted yet?

5. Slang. to steal, especially to shoplift.

   Two computers were boosted from the office last night.

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verb (used without object)

boosts, present (3rd person singular) boosted, past participle, past boosting present participle

1. Slang. to engage in stealing, especially shoplifting.

noun

1. an upward shove or raise; lift.

2. an increase; rise.

   There's been a tremendous boost in food prices.

   Synonyms:

   uptick, upswing, upsurge, growth, hike

3. an act, remark, or the like, that helps one's progress, morale, efforts, etc..

   His pep talk was the boost our team needed.

boost British  

/ buːst /

noun

1. encouragement, improvement, or help

   a boost to morale

2. an upward thrust or push

   he gave him a boost over the wall

3. an increase or rise

   a boost in salary

4. a publicity campaign; promotion

5. the amount by which the induction pressure of a supercharged internal-combustion engine exceeds that of the ambient pressure

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verb

1. to encourage, assist, or improve

   to boost morale

2. to lift by giving a push from below or behind

3. to increase or raise

   to boost the voltage in an electrical circuit

4. to cause to rise; increase

   to boost sales

5. to advertise on a big scale

6. to increase the induction pressure of (an internal-combustion engine) above that of the ambient pressure; supercharge

boost Scientific  

/ bo̅o̅st /

1. A linear map from one reference frame to another in which each coordinate is increased or decreased by an independent constant or linear function. A boost corresponds to a shift of the entire coordinate system without any rotation of its axes.

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Other Word Forms

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have boosted
  perfect
• has boosted
  perfect 3rd person singular
• has been boosting
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• boosting
  participle
• are boosting
  progressive
• am boosting
  progressive 1st person singular
• boosts
  singular 3rd person
• have been boosting
  perfect progressive
• is boosting
  progressive 3rd person singular

Past

• had boosted
  perfect
• was boosting
  progressive singular
• were boosting
  progressive plural
• boosted
  simple
• boosted
  participle
• had been boosting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will boost
  simple
• will have boosted
  perfect
• will be boosting
  progressive
• will have been boosting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of boost

An Americanism dating back to 1815–25; perhaps Scots dialect boose (variant of pouss push ) + (hoi)st

Explanation

Think of the word boost as meaning "help up." Maybe you need a boost getting over a fence (hmm — are you sneaking in or sneaking out?), or maybe you are feeling low and need to boost your spirits — chocolate, anyone? Sometimes words appear that really don't have any clear origins. Boost is one of those words, but it's a fun word, and it's thought that maybe it has some connection to boose, a Scots dialect word that carries the idea of a push. A slang meaning of the word is to sneakily steal, like shoplifting. You gave your cousin a boost into the window, not knowing he was planning on boosting some sneakers.

Example Sentences

Around 2006 Coke launched a grab-and-go project to see if selling bottled beverages could boost sales at McDonald’s.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 13, 2026

While 75% of individuals reported a boost in productivity, only 13% of the organizations say they have seen significant business gains as a result of AI adoption, the survey found.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2026

The show was credited with giving a boost to Puerto Rico's tourism, drawing an estimated $200 million into the economy, according to reports..

From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026

Markets are overlooking the potential upside boost to earnings prospects for investment banks that volatile markets and heavy new equity issuance may provide in the coming months.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 12, 2026

It was important to me that the organic ice cream came from cows that did not receive injections of growth hormone to boost their productivity.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan

Related Words

• addition
• advance
• breakthrough
• expansion
• hike
• improvement
• increment
• jump
• lift
• rise