boost

[ boost ]

verb (used with object)

1. to lift or raise by pushing from behind or below.
2. to advance or aid by speaking well of; promote:

   She always boosts her hometown.

3. to increase; raise:

   to boost prices;

   to boost the horsepower of the car by 20 percent.

4. to administer a booster shot to:

   Have you and your family been boosted yet?

5. Slang. to steal, especially to shoplift:

   Two computers were boosted from the office last night.

verb (used without object)

1. Slang. to engage in stealing, especially shoplifting.

noun

1. an upward shove or raise; lift.
2. an increase; rise:

   There's been a tremendous boost in food prices.

   Synonyms: uptick, upswing, upsurge, growth, hike

3. an act, remark, or the like, that helps one's progress, morale, efforts, etc.:

   His pep talk was the boost our team needed.

boost

/ buːst /

noun

1. encouragement, improvement, or help

   a boost to morale

2. an upward thrust or push

   he gave him a boost over the wall

3. an increase or rise

   a boost in salary

4. a publicity campaign; promotion
5. the amount by which the induction pressure of a supercharged internal-combustion engine exceeds that of the ambient pressure

verb

1. to encourage, assist, or improve

   to boost morale

2. to lift by giving a push from below or behind
3. to increase or raise

   to boost the voltage in an electrical circuit

4. to cause to rise; increase

   to boost sales

5. to advertise on a big scale
6. to increase the induction pressure of (an internal-combustion engine) above that of the ambient pressure; supercharge

boost

/ bo̅o̅st /

1. A linear map from one reference frame to another in which each coordinate is increased or decreased by an independent constant or linear function. A boost corresponds to a shift of the entire coordinate system without any rotation of its axes.

Word History and Origins

Origin of boost¹

An Americanism dating back to 1815–25; perhaps Scots dialect boose (variant of pouss push ) + (hoi)st

Word History and Origins

Origin of boost¹

C19: of unknown origin

Example Sentences

The fortification of flour will therefore help boost intake of folic acid across the population, and, indirectly, better protect unborn babies.

From BBC

In a move to boost the economy as inflation cools, the Federal Reserve on Nov. 7 cut its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points as expected, following a September rate cut.

From Salon

Seeding for future tournaments was never far from his mind when it came to choosing friendly opposition and attempting to boost the team’s ranking whenever possible.

From BBC

Trump’s policies could reduce the sales of electric vehicles, but with Musk’s influence, his administration’s policies could boost Tesla — though not with federal funding.

From Los Angeles Times

And so far, these decades-later legacy sequels — or “lega-sequels” — have helped boost a box office still recovering from the pandemic and fewer big titles due to last year’s dual Hollywood strikes.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• add to
• augment
• develop
• enlarge
• expand
• extend
• heighten
• jump
• raise