boost
Americanverb (used with object)
-
boosts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
boosted,
past participle, past
-
boosting
present participle
-
to lift or raise by pushing from behind or below.
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to advance or aid by speaking well of; promote.
She always boosts her hometown.
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to boost prices;
to boost the horsepower of the car by 20 percent.
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to administer a booster shot to.
Have you and your family been boosted yet?
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Slang. to steal, especially to shoplift.
Two computers were boosted from the office last night.
verb (used without object)
-
boosts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
boosted,
past participle, past
-
boosting
present participle
noun
-
encouragement, improvement, or help
a boost to morale
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an upward thrust or push
he gave him a boost over the wall
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an increase or rise
a boost in salary
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a publicity campaign; promotion
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the amount by which the induction pressure of a supercharged internal-combustion engine exceeds that of the ambient pressure
verb
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to encourage, assist, or improve
to boost morale
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to lift by giving a push from below or behind
-
to increase or raise
to boost the voltage in an electrical circuit
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to cause to rise; increase
to boost sales
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to advertise on a big scale
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to increase the induction pressure of (an internal-combustion engine) above that of the ambient pressure; supercharge
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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boostsimple
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boostssimple
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have boostedperfect
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has boostedperfect
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am boostingprogressive
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are boostingprogressive
-
is boostingprogressive
-
have been boostingperfect progressive
-
has been boostingperfect progressive
Past
-
boostedsimple
-
had boostedperfect
-
was boostingprogressive
-
were boostingprogressive
-
had been boostingperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing boost
Common Five-letter Words for Wordle, List 2
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Higher Learning: Synonyms For "Up"
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"Laws are not the only way to boost immunization”: an editorial from Nature
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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.
See Examples For:
The latter can produce a quick cash-flow boost, but may not be sustainable.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
The money would partly pay for data centres with a capacity of up to one gigawatt, Berlin said, and an "Investment Council" would be set up to boost business links between the two nations.
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
The DfT said the trains would help deliver the Transpennine Route Upgrade's aim to boost capacity by 30%, with thousands of additional seats a day across the Pennines by the early to mid-2030s.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
“You were even more fortunate if you engaged him in conversation or listened to his analysis, because he never failed to boost your love of the game of hockey.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026
It gave me a boost of confidence for what I needed to do next.
From "Keep It Together, Keiko Carter" by Debbi Michiko Florence
Micron stock rises as Oracle’s cloud infrastructure sales growth boosts the AI trade.
From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026
"By changing the land to suit their needs, they can change it in such a way that boosts biodiversity and increases resilience in terms of climate change," Bowen added.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
“This boosts investors’ confidence with Oracle’s OpenAI backlog,” or the dollar amount of commitments yet to be recognized as revenue.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
Addressing their basic needs by offering a host of services to all students and families — nearly 93% of children come from low-income households — is a priority that boosts attendance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
“What happens to her when Mr. Curtain boosts the power all the way? She’s already hearing voices, you know!”
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
Zara owner Inditex, one of the world's largest fashion retailers, reported Wednesday higher profits for the first half of its fiscal year as its brands withstood fierce competition and boosted sales.
From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026
Although she quit the show early, her performance received strong reviews and boosted interest in the show, with fans reportedly travelling from across the US, external to see her.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
But despite all those headwinds, August was another positive month for U.S. stocks and fund investors, boosted in particular by shares of software companies that posted strong earnings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026
Uncertainty around iPhone prices has boosted sales this year, as consumers have preemptively bought now to avoid potential price hikes in the future, Jefferies analyst Edison Lee wrote in an August note.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 7, 2026
Abby’s face in the crowd caught my attention, and she gave me a smile that boosted my courage.
From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry
The stock market and artificial intelligence are making many people rich and boosting retirement savings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
Most people know it for boosting alertness, but scientists have also been interested in its possible connection to a lower risk of some age-related diseases.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 9, 2026
But with supply so tight nowadays, an analyst sees “a major opportunity” for Micron to cash in by boosting its manufacturing capacity.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 4, 2026
Reversing course on clean renewables, and boosting coal again would be "completely counterproductive" according to Gropp.
From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026
Your mother was not simply boosting your self-esteem.
From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan
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.
