Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To raise or lift by pushing up from below. synonym: lift.
  • intransitive verb To increase; raise.
  • intransitive verb To assist in further development or progress.
  • intransitive verb To stir up enthusiasm for; promote vigorously.
  • intransitive verb Electricity To increase the voltage of (a circuit).
  • intransitive verb Slang To steal or rob, especially by shoplifting or pickpocketing.
  • intransitive verb Slang To engage in stealing, especially shoplifting or pickpocketing.
  • noun A push upward or ahead.
  • noun An encouraging act or comment.
  • noun An increase.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To lift or raise by pushing from behind, as a person climbing a tree; push up: often used figuratively: as, to boost a person over a fence, or into power.
  • noun An upward shove or push; the act of boosting; the result of boosting; a lift, either literally or figuratively: as, to give one a boost.
  • Same as buist.
  • noun A Middle English form of boast.
  • noun Same as boist.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb Colloq. U. S. To lift or push from behind (one who is endeavoring to climb); to push up; hence, to assist in overcoming obstacles, or in making advancement.
  • noun Colloq. U. S. A push from behind, as to one who is endeavoring to climb; help.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A push from behind, as to one who is endeavoring to climb; help.
  • noun automotive engineering A positive intake manifold pressure in cars with turbochargers or superchargers.
  • verb To lift or push from behind (one who is endeavoring to climb); to push up; hence, to assist in overcoming obstacles, or in making advancement.
  • verb slang To steal.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb increase or raise
  • verb increase
  • verb give a boost to; be beneficial to
  • verb contribute to the progress or growth of
  • verb push or shove upward, as if from below or behind
  • noun the act of giving hope or support to someone
  • noun the act of giving a push
  • noun an increase in cost

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Perhaps from dialectal boostering, bustling, active.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Origin unknown. The verb is first recorded 1815; the noun, 1825.

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Examples

  • A title boost can be a nice carrot for senior associates who might otherwise be disappointed with their year-end pay.

    Why Goldman Is Golden 2008

  • Governments can give a short term boost to growth by increasing borrowing but there is a longer term cost, just as we are all today paying for the mistakes by Brown and Balls after 2003.

    Telegraph.co.uk - Telegraph online, Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph 2011

  • The retail industry may have been saved in the nick of time from a disastrous Christmas, and can now be more confident Santa is coming to town and trade will be enjoying at least a short term boost over the festive season.

    NEWS.com.au | Top Stories 2011

  • The retail industry may have been saved in the nick of time from a disastrous Christmas, and can now be more confident Santa is coming to town and trade will be enjoying at least a short term boost over the festive season.

    NEWS.com.au | Top Stories 2011

  • The retail industry may have been saved in the nick of time from a disastrous Christmas, and can now be more confident Santa is coming to town and trade will be enjoying at least a short term boost over the festive season.

    NEWS.com.au | Top Stories 2011

  • Governments can give a short term boost to growth by increasing borrowing but there is a longer term cost, just as we are all today paying for the mistakes by Brown and Balls after 2003.

    Telegraph.co.uk - Telegraph online, Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph 2011

  • Despite the short term boost to its stock price as market participants anticipate a possible settlement, Cross Research's Shannon Cross, cited by the

    Forbes.com: News Agustino Fontevecchia 2011

  • The Daily Express says that Van Persie, who started training again with Dutch amateur side AFC Amsterdam last month, has 'shocked players and officials with his fitness, which he maintained in the gym and pool, and is desperate to give his club a title boost'.

    TEAMtalk Football News 2010

  • MUMBAI (AFP) - Indian energy giant Reliance Industries said Thursday it had begun producing gas from the deep-sea Krishna Godavari Basin off India's east coast in what it called a boost for national energy security.

    The Oil Drum - Discussions about Energy and Our Future 2009

  • This week's Lady Gaga promotion probably gave Amazon a short-term boost, people in the music industry said.

    For Amazon, a Gaga Do-Over Stu Woo 2011

Comments

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  • A scary boast.

    October 15, 2008