zoom

¹zoom

verb \ˈzüm\

Definition of ZOOM

intransitive verb

1

a : to move with a loud low hum or buzz

b : to go speedily : zip <cars zooming by on the highway>

2

of an airplane : to climb for a short time at an angle greater than that which can be maintained in steady flight so that the machine is carried upward at the expense of stored kinetic energy

3

a : to focus a camera or microscope on an object using a zoom lens so that the object's apparent distance from the observer changes —often used with in or out

b : focus, zero —used with in <trying to zoom in on the cause of these problems>

4

: to increase sharply <retail sales zoomed>

transitive verb

: to cause to zoom

Examples of ZOOM

1. They got in the car and zoomed away.
2. The group of bicycle racers zoomed past.
3. After her first successful cases she zoomed to the top of her profession.
4. Housing sales have zoomed in recent months.

Origin of ZOOM

imitative

First Known Use: 1903

Related to ZOOM

Synonyms

bumble, burr, buzz, drone, hum, whish, whiz (or whizz), zip, whirr

Antonyms

crawl, creep, poke

Related Words

chirr, churr; thrum; fizz, hiss, murmur, purr, rustle, sigh, sizzle, swish, whisper; coo, curr; wheeze, whistle, whoosh

Near Antonyms

dally, dawdle, dillydally, drag, hang (around or out), lag, linger, loiter, poke, tarry; amble, lumber, plod, saunter, shuffle, stroll; decelerate, slow (down or up)

Rhymes with ZOOM

bloom, boom, broom, brume, combe, cwm, doom, flume, fume, gloom, glume, groom, khoum, loom, neume, plume, rheum, room, spume, tomb, toom, vroom, whom, womb

²zoom

noun

Definition of ZOOM

1

a : an act or process of zooming; especially : a sharp upward movement

b : an image created by zooming

2

: a zooming sound

3

: a means of producing an enlarged image (as in a camera); specifically : zoom lens

Examples of ZOOM

1. The camera was equipped with a zoom.
2. The truck went by with a zoom.

First Known Use of ZOOM

1917

Related to ZOOM

Synonyms

burr, buzz, chirr, churr, drone, purr, thrum, whir (also whirr), whiz (or whizz), hum

Related Words

babble, coo, gasp, gurgle, hiss, moan, murmur, rustle, sigh, suspiration, susurration, susurrus, whisper; whish, zing, zip

Near Antonyms

bawl, howl, roar, scream, screech, shriek, squall, squeal, yelp, yell