English Reference

Word

bonus

US/ˈboʊnəs/

UK/bˈəʊnəs/

Definitions

01extra money

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun

n. extra money that you are paid by your employer, usually for doing a good job.

n. a sum of money added to a person's wages as a reward for good performance or as a share of profits.

“The company gave every employee a small bonus at the end of the year.”

“The executive board approved a performance-based bonus for the sales department after they exceeded their quarterly targets by twenty percent.”

Usage

Usually a countable noun; often used with the verbs 'pay', 'receive', or 'award'.

02added benefit

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun

n. something extra that is good or helpful, but not expected.

n. an additional advantage or benefit that is incidental to the main purpose.

“The hotel was cheap, and the free breakfast was a nice bonus.”

“While the primary goal of the project was efficiency, the reduction in carbon emissions served as a significant environmental bonus.”

Usage

Often used in the phrase 'an added bonus'.

Synonyms

03extra points

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Sports

n. extra points given to a player or team for doing something well in a game.

n. an addition to a player's or team's score based on specific achievements or performance metrics.

“You get a ten-point bonus if you finish the level in under two minutes.”

“The striker earned a goal-scoring bonus in his contract, which triggered automatically after his fifteenth successful strike of the season.”

Synonyms

extra points

Antonyms

04to pay extra

C2 · Proficiency Formal · Technical

v. to give someone extra money as a reward.

v. to provide a person or entity with a premium or supplementary payment.

“The firm decided to bonus the staff after a very successful merger.”

“The contract specifies that the agency will bonus the consultants only upon the successful completion of the final audit phase.”

Usage

This transitive verb use is less common than the noun form and is typically found in corporate or legal contexts.

Synonyms

Collocations

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “bonus” in context.

Verb

01. award a bonus

“The board decided to award a performance bonus to the CEO for the successful merger.”

verb + noun

02. receive a bonus

“Employees who meet their sales targets will receive a substantial year-end bonus.”

verb + noun

Adjective

03. added bonus

“The hotel was beautiful, and the fact that it was right on the beach was an added bonus.”

adj + noun

04. annual bonus

“Many staff members rely on their annual bonus to pay for their summer holidays.”

adj + noun

05. discretionary bonus

“The company provides a discretionary bonus based on individual contribution to the project.”

adj + noun

Noun

06. bonus payment

“The one-off bonus payment will be included in your December payslip.”

noun + noun

07. bonus scheme

“The new bonus scheme was designed to improve productivity across the manufacturing plant.”

noun + noun

Preposition

08. as a bonus

“The laptop comes with a free carrying case as a bonus.”

prep + noun

Real-World Examples

“Teachers will receive total pay rises between 28.3% and 32.4% over four years, plus a $2,000 bonus at the start of the agreement.”
The Guardian 17 Aug 2026
“More than five banks are currently offering incentives to switch - with the largest bonus £220.”
BBC News 16 Aug 2026
“At the start of the year, he used about half of a bonus from work to buy shares in tech giant SK Hynix.”
BBC News 13 Aug 2026

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin bonus (“good”). Doublet of bona.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Exam level
CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
Frequency
Common
Level
C1 · AdvancedOxford
Updated

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