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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

The "create image" tool, rolled out Thursday, integrates Google's Nano Banana 2 image-generation technology to let users zoom into locations and build images in seconds based on Google Earth satellite, aerial and 3D-mapping data.

From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026

Users can zoom from the whole brainstem seen on MRI down to individual neurons while maintaining their precise spatial relationships.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

Use your computer mouse to rotate each image, or even zoom in for a closer look.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

"These findings allow our community to zoom in on factors tied to longevity and, more importantly, they point to what maybe are key elements to extend the healthspan of all."

From Science Daily ● Jun. 21, 2026

We had to be careful in that boat, though, because sometimes bigger boats with engines carrying tourists would zoom by and almost hit us like a speedboat hitting a manatee.

From "Hurricane Child" by Kheryn Callender

“You can use Zoom on Canvas,” I was told.

From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026

A week after sending in the tape, “Ted Lasso” co-creator and star Jason Sudeikis asked Reynolds to hop on a Zoom call.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

Wilby and Creasy first met during a Zoom meeting in 2024 as part of her role as an MP.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

SaaS exploded in the 2010s, as companies such as Slack and Zoom raised hundreds of millions of dollars from venture-capital firms and others went public in blockbuster IPOs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

Zoom in even more, and you’ll see cells and the molecules they are made from.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland

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

“Nevertheless, I personally don’t think you can short stocks right now until bonds re-break, or chase back into positioning zooms to ‘extreme greedy/ FOMO’ behavior first,” said the strategist.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 16, 2026

This two-parter zooms in on the bees, literally taking us inside the hive with cameras that let us see eggs getting laid and newborns emerging as we learn the ins and outs of hive life.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 13, 2026

It’s the same thing for a person who zooms away at great speed.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Related Words

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