boom

¹

[ boom ]

verb (used without object)

1. to make a deep, prolonged, resonant sound.
2. to move with a resounding rush or great impetus.
3. to progress, grow, or flourish vigorously, as a business or a city:

   Her business is booming since she enlarged the store.

   Synonyms: develop, thrive, prosper, flourish

verb (used with object)

1. to give forth with a booming sound (often followed by out ):

   The clock boomed out nine.

2. to boost; campaign for vigorously:

   His followers are booming George for mayor.

noun

1. a deep, prolonged, resonant sound.
2. the resonant cry of a bird or animal.
3. a buzzing, humming, or droning, as of a bee or beetle.
4. a rapid increase in price, development, numbers, etc.:

   a boom in housing construction.

5. a period of rapid economic growth, prosperity, high wages and prices, and relatively full employment.
6. a rise in popularity, as of a political candidate.

adjective

1. caused by or characteristic of a boom:

   boom prices.

boom

²

[ boom ]

noun

1. Nautical. any of various more or less horizontal spars or poles for extending the feet of sails, especially fore-and-aft sails, for handling cargo, suspending mooring lines alongside a vessel, pushing a vessel away from wharves, etc.
2. Aeronautics.
   1. an outrigger used on certain aircraft for connecting the tail surfaces to the fuselage.
   2. a maneuverable and retractable pipe on a tanker aircraft for refueling another aircraft in flight.
   3. chord ¹( def 4 ).
3. a chain, cable, series of connected floating timbers, or the like, serving to obstruct navigation, confine floating timber, etc.
4. the area thus shut off.
5. Machinery. a spar or beam projecting from the mast of a derrick for supporting or guiding the weights to be lifted.
6. (on a motion-picture or television stage) a spar or beam on a mobile crane for holding or manipulating a microphone or camera.

verb (used with object)

1. to extend or position, as a sail (usually followed by out or off ).
2. to manipulate (an object) by or as by means of a crane or derrick.

verb (used without object)

1. to sail at full speed.

boom

¹

/ buːm /

verb

1. to make a deep prolonged resonant sound, as of thunder or artillery fire
2. to prosper or cause to prosper vigorously and rapidly

   business boomed

noun

1. a deep prolonged resonant sound

   the boom of the sea

2. the cry of certain animals, esp the bittern
3. a period of high economic growth characterized by rising wages, profits, and prices, full employment, and high levels of investment, trade, and other economic activity Compare depression
4. any similar period of high activity
5. the activity itself

   a baby boom

boom

²

/ buːm /

noun

1. nautical a spar to which a sail is fastened to control its position relative to the wind
2. a beam or spar pivoting at the foot of the mast of a derrick, controlling the distance from the mast at which a load is lifted or lowered
3. a pole, usually extensible, carrying an overhead microphone and projected over a film or television set
4. 1. a barrier across a waterway, usually consisting of a chain of connected floating logs, to confine free-floating logs, protect a harbour from attack, etc
   2. the area so barred off

Other Words From

• booming·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of boom¹

First recorded in 1400–50; 1910–15 boom ¹fordef 10; late Middle English bombon, bummyn “to buzz”; cognate with Dutch bommen, German bummen; imitative of the sound

Origin of boom²

First recorded in 1660–65; from Dutch: literally, “tree, pole”; beam

Word History and Origins

Origin of boom¹

C15: perhaps from Dutch bommen , of imitative origin

Origin of boom²

C16: from Dutch boom tree, beam

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. lower the boom, to take decisive punitive action:

   The government has lowered the boom on tax evaders.

More idioms and phrases containing boom

see lower the boom .

Example Sentences

It’s the latest sign that investors may be growing more demanding of the world’s most valuable public company and others that have ridden the artificial intelligence boom to stratospheric valuations.

From New York Times

The equivalent “Now” auction in 2022 — the last boom year for the art market — had 23 lots and raised $72.9 million.

From New York Times

“I fell down, just boom, boom, boom,” he said, laughing at himself and flipping up his eye patch to reveal a sprawling bruise.

From Los Angeles Times

L.A. leaders approve employee raises the city can’t afford and then cut staffing and services while hoping for an economic boom to lift tax revenue.

From Los Angeles Times

The Inflation Reduction Act, the landmark climate law Biden signed, has unleashed a boom in electric vehicle and battery manufacturing and other clean energy technology that has disproportionately benefited red states and districts.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• develop
• expand
• flourish
• grow
• intensify
• strengthen
• swell
• thrive

More About Boom

What does boom mean?

A boom is a deep, loud, resonant sound that echoes or travels rapidly, like the sound of thunder.

To boom is to create such a sound, as in The thunder boomed overhead, which scared our poor dog.

A boom is also a rapid increase in prices, development, numbers, and the like, as in Thanks to the new majors, the college is experiencing a boom in student enrollment. When an entire economy goes through a period of quick growth, that, too, is a boom.

To boom is also to grow rapidly, as a business or economy might, as in Houses are selling so fast that the housing market is booming.

Example: There was a loud boom from around the corner and then a few minutes later there were police cars coming from everywhere.

Where does boom come from?

The first records of the term boom come from the 1400s. It ultimately comes from the German bummen, which is meant to imitate the sound. In the early 1900s, boom began being used to describe a period of economic success and is often associated with the American phrase boom-and-bust cycle.

Most often, though, boom is used to define the sound made by a large, dull impact or a resonating sound from far away. Boom is an example of onomatopoeia, a word that imitates the sound it describes, as in The cars made a boom.

Because booms are often associated with a fast or brutal impact and because sound travels extremely fast from one place to another, boom has several uses related to speed, such as to boom from one side of the field to the other, or in the economic sense, as in business was booming.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to boom?

• boomer (noun)
• boomingly (adverb)

What are some synonyms for boom?

• bang
• blast
• clap
• explosion
• slam

What are some words that share a root or word element with boom?

• boom box
• boom-and-bust
• boom shot

What are some words that often get used in discussing boom?

• impact
• microphone
• pop
• sail
• sound

How is boom used in real life?

Boom is a common word with several meanings.

For real though, what is going on with all the explosions we’ve been hearing here since last night? I’m in South Philly and heard a super loud boom about a half hour ago. It’s not fireworks, its not gunshots, it’s not exploding ATMs, it’s not LRADs, so what *is* it?

— Kim Kelly (@GrimKim) June 3, 2020

how about we stop worshiping celebrities. boom. problem solved.

— B.o.B [phone] (@bobatl) April 26, 2018

it is sky boom season. so if anyone needs me. i’ll be hiding in the bathtub. with my stuffed fren sebastian

— Thoughts of Dog® (@dog_feelings) May 16, 2018

 

 

Try using boom!

Is boom used correctly in the following sentence?

Joe has such a big, booming voice that he doesn’t need a microphone to be heard in a big room.