skyrocket

American  

[skahy-rok-it] / ˈskaɪˌrɒk ɪt /

noun

1. a rocket firework that ascends into the air and explodes at a height, usually in a brilliant array of sparks of one or more colors.

2. Also called scarlet gilia.  a plant, Ipomopsis aggregata, of the phlox family, native to western North America, having finely divided leaves and clusters of red, trumpet-shaped flowers.

3. an organized group cheer, usually led by a cheerleader, as at a football or basketball game, which begins with a hissing or whistling and ends with a shout.

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verb (used without object)

1. to rise or increase rapidly or suddenly, especially to unexpected or unprecedented levels.

   Prices skyrocketed during the war.

verb (used with object)

1. to cause to rise or increase rapidly and usually suddenly.

   Economic changes have skyrocketed prices.

2. to thrust with sudden dramatic advancement; catapult.

   Talent has skyrocketed him to fame.

skyrocket British  

/ ˈskaɪˌrɒkɪt /

noun

1. another word for rocket 1

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verb

1. informal (intr) to rise rapidly, as in price

Etymology

Origin of skyrocket

First recorded in 1680–90; sky + rocket ¹

Explanation

When something skyrockets, it shoots up. Immediately after the Winter Olympics, interest in ice skating, bobsledding, and curling tends to skyrocket, or increase suddenly and dramatically. The verb skyrocket is good to use when something grows or shoots up as abruptly as a firework. Gas prices, food prices, debt, and winter cases of the flu are all said, from time to time, to skyrocket. A more literal meaning of skyrocket is the actual rocket that's designed to send a flare or firework high into the sky. A bottle rocket — a firework that is placed in an empty bottle before being lit and shooting into the air — is one example of a small skyrocket.

Example Sentences

"It's ridiculous, honestly. Seeing these gas prices skyrocket, it's incredible," he said at a gas station in New Jersey.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

Fuel distributors, caught between the fear of seeing barrel prices skyrocket and the regulation of prices at the pump, are being singled out as responsible for the sudden shortage.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

But Daniel didn’t just buy digital money when it was cheap and watch it skyrocket in value.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

David Hollingworth, associate director at L&C Mortgages, does not expect mortgage costs to skyrocket but said borrowers considering a new fixed-rate deal should try to secure that "sooner rather than later."

From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026

On the top step he let out a shriek that one witness likened to the scream of a skyrocket.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

Related Words

• catapult
• escalate
• rise
• rocket
• shoot up
• zoom