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• zoom
  zoom

  verb (used without object)

  to move quickly or suddenly with a loud humming or buzzing sound.
• Zoom
  Zoom

  a brand name for a software application and online service that enables voice and video phone calls over the internet.

zoom

¹ American  

[zoom] / zum /

verb (used without object)

1. to move quickly or suddenly with a loud humming or buzzing sound.

   cars zooming by on the freeway.

   Synonyms:

   flash, streak, speed, buzz

2. to fly an airplane suddenly and sharply upward at great speed for a short distance, as in regaining altitude, clearing an obstacle, or signaling.

3. Movies, Television. to bring a subject, scene, etc., into closeup or cause it to recede into a long shot using a zoom lens and while maintaining focus.

4. Informal. to increase or rise suddenly and sharply.

   Rents would zoom without rent control laws.

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verb (used with object)

1. to cause (an airplane) to zoom.

2. to fly over (an obstacle) by zooming.

noun

• zooms
  plural

1. the act or process of zooming.

2. a zooming sound.

3. Informal. zoom lens.

4. Also called zoom shot. Movies, Television. a shot in which a subject, scene, or action is brought closer or made to recede by the use of a zoom lens.

verb phrase

1. zoom in (on)

   1. to bring (a subject, scene, etc.) into closeup by using a zoom lens.

      to zoom in for a look at the injured man; to zoom in on a candidate at a political convention.

   2. to examine more closely or in greater detail; focus on.

      The panel zoomed in on the subject of abortion.

Zoom ² American  

[zoom] / zum /

Trademark.

1. a brand name for a software application and online service that enables voice and video phone calls over the internet.

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verb (used with or without object)

1. to participate in a real-time conversation with (one or more people) using Zoom.

   Yesterday the kids Zoomed their grandparents in Florida.

   We Zoom with remote staff during our Friday meetings.

zoom British  

/ zuːm /

verb

1. to make or cause to make a continuous buzzing or humming sound

2. to move or cause to move with such a sound

3. (intr) to move very rapidly; rush

   we zoomed through town

4. to cause (an aircraft) to climb briefly at an unusually steep angle, or (of an aircraft) to climb in this way

5. (intr) (of prices) to rise rapidly

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noun

1. the sound or act of zooming

2. See zoom lens

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• zooms
  plural

Etymology

Origin of zoom¹

First recorded in 1885–90; imitative

Origin of Zoom²

First recorded in 2010–15; shortening of Zoom Video Communications

Explanation

Zoom zoom! This is a word for things moving quickly, either up or in a line. When you hear zoom, think fast. Zoom is a word that can be a sound effect, a noun, or a verb. In comic books, you might see a spaceship taking off with a word bubble saying ZOOM!. Fast cars can zoom; airplanes can zoom. You could say, "In one zoom, we were in the air!" Zooming can also mean to move while making a low humming noise that sounds like zoom. Like boom, zoom is a fun word: it's hard to say Zoom zoom! and be in a bad mood.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

zoom Zoom zooms

At the end of a slow zoom shot, we see the article’s title in Italian until it’s translated for us in English: “A Machine Has Been Invented That Photographs the Past.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

Tractors zoom around, fallen nuts are collected, and trucks cart off the bins of almonds.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

Whereas in a zoom, you have all these squares, and anyone can hit a button and exit.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

Others zoom in on parts of the costume and post conspiracy theories about Mike Myers, who played the character in the 2003 film, being trapped inside.

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026

Then you would zoom upward into the sky, and look up at the clouds, and the rope would twist and you would twist and turn with the rope.

From "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White

"Many people are spending up to eight hours a day on Teams or Zoom, and if you think about a television newsreader, they've been trained for that."

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

Therapists and “estrangement coaches” have produced a new wave of paid offerings, from books and podcasts to support groups and Zoom consultations, that purport to help both parents and adult children navigate a cutoff.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026

Room Rater built an audience scoring Zoom backgrounds for lighting, depth, art and visible cords; books themselves became set dressing.

From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026

We’re going to do a webinar or a Zoom with Palisadians who are all facing this issue.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026

“I could go anywhere I want. Zoom around the world. Go to all those places Ximena’s lived in.”

From "Auggie & Me" by R. J. Palacio

The Bavarian forest beautifully stands in for 1930s Oregon and cinematographer Matteo Cocco balances ’70s-inspired slow zooms with composed, high-contrast images that hark to early 20th century styles of photography.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

That said, TSA Touchless ID also zooms travelers through the checkpoint.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

Metro zooms out to "extreme weather" events impacting people "at home and abroad", carrying the story of "1 million Chinese forced to flee Typhoon Dolphin as Britain braces for yet another 36C heatwave".

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

After some back and forth, McElwee relented, letting Adrian try his slow zooms and dynamic shots.

From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026

Then the three-year-old is scooped upside down into the air and the view zooms up to Father’s face laughing and nuzzling into her belly.

From "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" by Mary E. Pearson

Related Words

• buzz
• dart
• dash
• dive
• flash
• hurtle
• rocket
• shoot up
• skyrocket
• surge
• whirl
• whiz
• zip