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

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

As part of its findings, it said Google had intentionally boosted its own advertising exchange, AdX, over competing exchanges where ads are bought and sold in real-time.

From BBC

We've also worked to boost community cohesion, tackle hate crime and reset the relationship with faith communities.

From BBC

In “The Grand Finale,” the couple are married and Mr. Molesley is endeavoring to boost his film career, although he hasn’t left his time at Downtown Abbey in the past.

From Los Angeles Times

However, Paul Dales from Capital Economics warned that both these factors were boosts that "won't be repeated".

From BBC

He said boosting the UK's AI capabilities was "critical" to national security and should be at the core of the institute's activities - and suggested it should overhaul its leadership team to reflect its "renewed purpose".

From BBC

Related Words

• addition 
• advance 
• breakthrough 
• expansion 
• hike 
• improvement 
• increment 
• jump 
• lift 
• rise