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

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

This option, if carefully configured, could also allow the sport to keep the operation of the boost and overtaking modes made possible by the electrical elements much as they are now.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

The acquisition should boost Shell’s expected production growth from 1% to 4%, the company says.

From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026

Still, Cerebras has seen a 5% boost in share price since its IPO announcement and, as of April 24, shares were trading at a 28% premium to its Series H valuation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

And the time horizon for the hoped-for boost in economic productivity that would lessen price pressures is highly uncertain.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026

“Then I reckon I’ll have to find somebody to boost me up,” he said.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

Related Words

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