boom

1 of 3

verb

boomed; booming; booms

intransitive verb

1
: to make a deep hollow sound
2
a
: to increase in importance, popularity, or esteem
b
: to experience a sudden rapid growth and expansion usually with an increase in prices
business was booming
c
: to develop rapidly in population and importance
California boomed when gold was discovered there
d
: to increase greatly in size or number
the population boomed

transitive verb

1
: to cause to resound
often used with out
his voice booms out the lyrics
2
: to cause a rapid growth or increase of : boost
3
: to hit or kick forcefully
boom a punt

boom

2 of 3

noun (1)

1
: a booming sound or cry
often used interjectionally to indicate suddenness
then boom, he was fired
2
: a rapid expansion or increase: such as
a
: a general movement in support of a candidate for office
b
: rapid settlement and development of a town or district
c
: a rapid widespread expansion of economic activity
d
: an upsurge in activity, interest, or popularity
a folk music boom

boom

3 of 3

noun (2)

1
: a long spar used to extend the foot of a sail
2
a
: a chain or line of connected floating timbers extended across a river, lake, or harbor (as to obstruct passage or catch floating objects)
b
: a temporary floating barrier used to contain an oil spill
3
a
: a long beam projecting from the mast of a derrick to support or guide cargo
b
: a long more or less horizontal supporting arm or brace (as for holding a microphone)
4
: a spar or outrigger connecting the tail surfaces and the main supporting structure of an aircraft

Examples of boom in a Sentence

Verb the sound of the bass drum booming His voice boomed out across the congregation. She boomed commands from the stern of the ship. “What's going on here?” he boomed. Housing construction has boomed in the past year. Last year we almost had to close the store, but now business is booming. Noun (1) the nerve-jangling boom of a car backfiring
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Advertisement Gun ownership has boomed in the U.S. over the last several years, including in California. James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2024 And as the nascent generative AI sector has boomed, Amazon has found itself in some instances trailing competitors. Jason Del Rey, Fortune, 9 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for boom 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'boom.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English bomben, bummen, of imitative origin

Noun (2)

Dutch, tree, beam; akin to Old High German boum tree — more at beam

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (1)

circa 1500, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1627, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of boom was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near boom

Cite this Entry

“Boom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boom. Accessed 14 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

boom

1 of 3 noun
1
: a long pole used especially to stretch the bottom of a sail
2
a
: a long beam sticking out from the mast of a derrick to support or guide something that is being lifted
b
: a long arm used to move a microphone
3
: a line of connected floating timbers (as across a river) to obstruct passage or catch floating objects

boom

2 of 3 verb
1
: to make a deep hollow rumbling sound
2
a
: to increase in importance or popularity
b
: to experience a boom (as in growth)

boom

3 of 3 noun
1
: a booming sound or cry
2
: a rapid increase in growth, popularity, or prosperity
especially : a rapid widespread expansion of business
Etymology

Noun

from Dutch boom "tree, wooden beam"

Verb

a word imitating the sound

More from Merriam-Webster on boom

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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