bonanza

noun

bo·​nan·​za bə-ˈnan-zə 

1

mining : an exceptionally large and rich mineral deposit (as of an ore, precious metal, or petroleum)

2

a

: something that is very valuable, profitable, or rewarding

a box-office bonanza

b

: a very large amount

a bonanza of sympathy

c

: extravaganza

channels planning all-day viewing bonanzas

—William Borders

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Great white sharks scavenging on the bonanza of a whale carcass select blubber-rich spots first and sometimes even spit up fleshy chunks in favor of going back for fattier bites, according to a 2013 study in the journal PLOS ONE. —Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 11 Apr. 2023

Now the building is stuffed with Ghibliana: a dense bonanza of references and tableaus and scale-model buildings. —Sam Anderson, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2023

For Trousdale and even Menken, who’d come out of Broadway as well, Benson didn’t necessarily seem part of the East Coast casting bonanza. —Jeff Bond, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Dec. 2022

Officially called the Prime Early Access Sale, the two-day shopping bonanza is coming just in time for gift-giving season. —Madison Flager, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Oct. 2022

Think of it as a marketing bonanza, but from an unparalleled entertainment conglomerate that has influenced generations, defined American culture and honored its own traditions while changing with the times. —Amy Hubbard, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2022

Successful movie script writers could expect bonanza paydays in an era in which studios released major competing films every weekend. —Stephen Humphries, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 May 2023

The guest list remains in flux, but that isn’t stopping Chinese companies from trying to snag a share of the bonanza. —Mary Hui, Quartz, 18 Apr. 2023

The Bulldogs’ bonanza in Kirby Smart’s sixth draft class raised the Georgia coach’s average number of draft picks per year to 7.5. —Mark Inabinett | [e-mail], al, 14 Apr. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Spanish, literally, calm sea, from Medieval Latin bonacia, alteration of Latin malacia, from Greek malakia, literally, softness, from malakos soft

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

bonanza

noun

bo·​nan·​za bə-ˈnan-zə 

1

: a large and rich mineral deposit

2

: something that brings a rich return