Link Centre Dictionary

boost

UK/buːst/ US/bʉst/ fairly common slang
verb (5) noun (3)

verb

1.

increase

  • “The landlord hiked up the rents”
Synonyms
2.

give a boost to; be beneficial to

  • “The tax cut will boost the economy”
3.

contribute to the progress or growth of

  • “I am promoting the use of computers in the classroom”
Synonyms
4.

increase or raise

  • “boost the voltage in an electrical circuit”
Synonyms
5.

push or shove upward, as if from below or behind

  • “The singer had to be boosted onto the stage by a special contraption”

noun

1.

the act of giving hope or support to someone

Synonyms
2.

an increase in cost

  • “they asked for a 10% rise in rates”
Synonyms
3.

the act of giving an upward push

  • “he gave her a boost over the fence”

Origin

Unknown. The verb is first recorded 1815; the noun, 1825. Compare Scots boost (“to move; drive off; shoo away”), bost, boast (“to threaten; scold”), Middle English boosten, bosten (“to threaten”). Possible doublet of boast.

Phrases

  • boost pad
  • damage boost
  • elo boost
  • Lorentz boost

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.