Unknown. The verb is first recorded 1815; the noun, 1825. Compare Scots boost (“to move; drive off; shoo away”), bost, boast (“to threaten; scold”), Middle English boosten, bosten (“to threaten”). Possible doublet of boast.
Meanings
A push from behind or below, as to one who is endeavoring to climb.
Something that helps, or adds power or effectiveness; assistance.
The controversy gave a boost to the author's sales.
A coordinate transformation that changes velocity.
(uncountable) A positive intake manifold pressure in cars with turbochargers or superchargers.
de Boost (push from behind) · fi avitus (push from behind) · fi työntö (push from behind) · nl duwtje (push from behind) · ru усиле́ние (push from behind) · bg повдигане (push from behind) · nl zetje (push from behind) · de Unterstützung (something that helps, or adds power or effectiveness; assistance) · es impulsión (something that helps, or adds power or effectiveness; assistance) · uk запомо́га (something that helps, or adds power or effectiveness; assistance) · it spinta (push from behind) · es mosh (something that helps, or adds power or effectiveness; assistance) · ca impuls (push from behind) · es subidón (something that helps, or adds power or effectiveness; assistance) · pl wzmocnienie (push from behind) · gl pulo (push from behind) · nl duwtje in de rug (push from behind) · be узмацненне (push from behind) · gl impulso (push from behind) · pt impulso (push from behind) · bg подпомагане (push from behind)
Unknown. The verb is first recorded 1815; the noun, 1825. Compare Scots boost (“to move; drive off; shoo away”), bost, boast (“to threaten; scold”), Middle English boosten, bosten (“to threaten”). Possible doublet of boast.
Meanings
(transitive) To lift or push from behind (one who is endeavoring to climb); to push up.
Gaddis found that with his broken arm, he couldn't climb the wall. Josh grabbed his foot and boosted him up. 2009, Richard L. Cave, Peace Keepers, page 39:
(broadly, transitive) To help or encourage (something) to increase or improve; to assist in overcoming obstacles.
As unsatisfied with wafty promises that arts learning inspires “creativity” as with pledges that it boosts scores, the Project Zero researchers videotaped several very different classrooms in two schools with intensive arts instruction. 2008 April 27, Ann Hulbert, “Drawing Lessons”, in The New York Times:
“ A god of blues . Have you got them , Doctor ? " " Boost him sir , boost him . “ ” “ He thinks ! Shall we let him ponder ? ” “ He only calls . What have you , Doctor ? Three ducks , ' tis yours . The Doctor pulls the wad without a ... 1910, The Gopher: Annual Publication of the Student Body of the University of Minnesota, volume 24, University of Minnesota, →OCLC, page 228:
This campaign will boost your chances of winning the election.
More flak was aimed at the Treasury's apparent lack of marketing skills, when it was argued that its idea of how to sell tickets was along the lines of "you can get two tickets for the price of two", and it lacks the sales and promotional skills of the train operating companies which are needed to boost revenue. 2022 January 12, Tom Allett, “Network News: MPs concerned at Treasury's influence on rail industry”, in RAIL, number 948, page 13:
(slang, transitive) To steal.
It is not at all unusual or suspicious for a woman to spend a good deal of the day out shopping, and feminine clothing styles often make it relatively easy for a female shoplifter to conceal "boosted" merchandise on her person. 1978, Harold J. Vetter, Ira J. Silverman, The Nature of Crime, page 296:
One time Noojie had to spend a weekend in jail for boosting and the four of us was left at the crib with Killer. 2006, Noire [pseudonym], Thug-A-Licious: An Urban Erotic Tale, New York, N.Y.: One World, Ballantine Books, →ISBN, page 46:
(Canada, transitive) To jump-start a vehicle by using cables to connect the battery in a running vehicle to the battery in a vehicle that won't start.
If I want to use the charged Montana battery to boost my old Summit where do I connect the negative cable on the good battery of the Montana? 2004, Doug Mitchell, “how to connect for boost?”, in alt.autos.gm (Usenet):
It's easy to boost a dead battery, but this can be dangerous if it's done the wrong way. 1980, Popular Mechanics, volume 154, number 4, page 152:
Virtue is therefore like boosting one car battery from another: you want to connect positive to positive and negative to negative. 2010, Thomas Hurka, The Best Things in Life: A Guide to What Really Matters, page 121:
de stehlen (to steal) · gl roubar (to steal) · fi työntää (to lift or push from behind) · nl jatten (to steal) · de anspornen (to help or encourage (something) to increase or improve) · nl stelen (to steal) · pt impulsionar (to lift or push from behind) · sv sno (to steal) · fi avittaa (to lift or push from behind) · de verstärken (to help or encourage (something) to increase or improve) · th เพิ่ม (to help or encourage (something) to increase or improve) · sv tjuva (to steal) · it incrementare (to help or encourage (something) to increase or improve) · bg вдигам (to lift or push from behind) · hu elcsór (to steal) · it rafforzare (to help or encourage (something) to increase or improve) · bg покачвам (to lift or push from behind) · ro ridica (to lift or push from behind) · eo vigliĝi (to lift or push from behind) · ca bitllar (to steal) · ca impel·lir (to lift or push from behind) · pl zasilać (to lift or push from behind) · es aupar (to lift or push from behind) · el ενισχύω (to lift or push from behind) · nl een zetje geven (to lift or push from behind) · gl impulsar (to lift or push from behind) · fi pölliä (to steal) · bg задигам (to steal) · nl ontvreemden (to steal) · sv stjäla (to steal) · ru подталкивать (to lift or push from behind) · th ส่งเสริม (to help or encourage (something) to increase or improve) · de schieben (to lift or push from behind) · es upar (to lift or push from behind) · nl een duwtje geven (to lift or push from behind) · de drücken (to lift or push from behind) · hu (el)lop (to steal) · pl zwiększać (to lift or push from behind) · bg издигам (to lift or push from behind) · nl een duwtje in de rug geven (to lift or push from behind) · it potenziare (to help or encourage (something) to increase or improve) · de klauen (to steal) · ca empènyer (to lift or push from behind) · ru давать толчок (to lift or push from behind)