I. boom 1 S3 /buːm/ BrE AmE noun
[ Sense 1-3: Date: 1400-1500 ; Origin: ⇨ ↑ boom 2 ]
[ Sense 4-6: Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: Dutch ; Origin: 'tree, long piece of wood' ]
1 . INCREASE IN BUSINESS [singular] a quick increase of business activity OPP slump :
The boom has created job opportunities.
boom in
a sudden boom in the housing market
consumer/investment/property etc boom
the post-war property boom
boom years/times
In boom times, airlines do well.
the economic boom of the 1950s
The economy went from boom to bust (=from increasing to decreasing) very quickly.
⇨ ↑ boom town
2 . WHEN SOMETHING IS POPULAR [singular] an increase in how popular or successful something is, or in how often it happens:
the disco boom of the 1970s
boom in
the boom in youth soccer in the U.S.
⇨ ↑ baby boom
3 . SOUND [countable] a deep loud sound that you can hear for several seconds after it begins, especially the sound of an explosion or a large gun ⇨ ↑ sonic boom
4 . BOAT [countable] a long pole on a boat that is attached to the bottom of a sail, and that you move to change the position of the sail
5 . LONG POLE [countable]
a) a long pole used as part of a piece of equipment that loads and unloads things
b) a long pole that has a camera or ↑ microphone on the end
6 . ON A RIVER/HARBOUR [countable] something that is stretched across a river or a ↑ bay to prevent things floating down or across it
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + boom
▪ an economic boom
the postwar economic boom
▪ a property/housing boom (=a sudden increase in house prices)
People made a lot of money in the 1980s property boom.
▪ a consumer/spending boom (=a sudden increase in the amount people spend)
Various factors caused the consumer boom.
▪ a building/construction boom (=a sudden increase in building work)
There’s been a recent construction boom in the Gulf.
▪ an investment boom
the investment boom of the past few years
■ verbs
▪ cause/lead to a boom
Tax cuts sometimes lead to an economic boom.
▪ trigger/spark a boom (=start it)
The lower interest rates triggered an economic boom.
▪ fuel a boom (=add to it)
The energy crisis is fuelling a boom in alternative energy.
▪ enjoy a boom
Since then, China has enjoyed a remarkable boom.
■ boom + NOUN
▪ the boom years/times
the boom years of the late 1980s
■ phrases
▪ go from boom to bust (=change from doing very well economically to doing very badly)
The Mexican economy went from boom to bust very quickly.
▪ at the height of the boom
They sold their house at the height of the boom.
II. boom 2 BrE AmE verb
[ Date: 1400-1500 ; Origin: From the sound ]
1 . [intransitive usually in progressive] if business, trade, or a particular area is booming, it is increasing and being very successful:
Business was booming, and money wasn’t a problem.
Tourism on the island has boomed.
2 . ( also boom out ) [transitive] to say something in a loud deep voice:
‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ his voice boomed out.
3 . ( also boom out ) [intransitive] to make a loud deep sound:
Guns boomed in the distance.
—booming adjective :
a booming economy