skyrocket

[skahy-rok-it]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR skyrocket ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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.

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.

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.

verb (used without object)

to rise or increase rapidly or suddenly, especially to unexpected or unprecedented levels: Prices skyrocketed during the war.

verb (used with object)

to cause to rise or increase rapidly and usually suddenly: Economic changes have skyrocketed prices.

to thrust with sudden dramatic advancement; catapult: Talent has skyrocketed him to fame.

Origin of skyrocket

First recorded in 1680–90; sky + rocket¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for skyrocketed

catapult, rocket, escalate, rise, zoom, shoot, tower, lift, ascend, arise

Examples from the Web for skyrocketed

Contemporary Examples of skyrocketed

By the time he returned to his dressing room, his career had skyrocketed.
‘Sharknado 2’ in Winter: Has the Franchise Jumped the Shark?
Jason Lynch
July 28, 2014
During that time, the amount of money for-profit education firms have spent on lobbying has skyrocketed.
Why the University of Phoenix’s Favorite Congressman Killed the GI College Aid Bill
Aaron Glantz
July 24, 2014
Meanwhile, since the 1970s, our yearly sugar consumption has skyrocketed along with the incidence of diabetes and obesity.
The Heart Association’s Junk Science Diet
Dr. Barbara H. Roberts
May 22, 2014
Since the election, consumer prices in Argentina have skyrocketed, climbing 2.4 percent in November alone.
Argentina’s Drag & Drop Democracy
Jeff Campagna
March 12, 2014
Ever since Netflix debuted Cards last year, the concept of binge viewing has skyrocketed.
Binge Watching is Lame and Lonely
Roland S. Martin
February 19, 2014

Historical Examples of skyrocketed

The price on your kisses has just skyrocketed to a million apiece.
We Can't Have Everything
Rupert Hughes
Well, at least the common shares of the concern had skyrocketed following the victory.
Mercenary
Dallas McCord Reynolds

British Dictionary definitions for skyrocketed

skyrocket

noun

another word for rocket 1 (def. 1)

verb

(intr) informal to rise rapidly, as in price

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for skyrocketed

skyrocket

1680s, type of firework, from sky (n.) + rocket (n.2). The verb, in the figurative sense of "to rise abruptly and rapidly" (often with suggestion of 'and then explode and vanish'") is attested from 1895.