boost

American  

[boost] / bust /

verb (used with object)

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)

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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Etymology

Origin of boost

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

Example Sentences

Ferrari's strong starts and superior cornering speed puts them in the mix in the early laps, and the new hybrid engine with their "boost" and "overtake" modes leads to switching of positions for a while.

From BBC

Amid increasing violence and threats against the Jewish community in the United States, there has been a boost in demand for security services specifically protecting Jews, with officers stationed at schools, campuses and other buildings.

From Barron's

CrowdStrike’s Charlotte AI offering, which integrates into the company’s main platform to automate threat detection, has boosted average deal sizes “meaningfully,” according to Marshall.

From MarketWatch

Chinese manufacturers have increasingly turned to exports to boost economic growth, and China’s trade surplus hit $1.2 trillion last year.

From The Wall Street Journal

WGA’s negotiating committee also is looking to boost streaming residuals, expand the minimum number of people allowed in a writers’ room and add protections for scribes working on pilots.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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