# boosting

/ˈbustɪŋ/ (US) · /bˈuːstɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/boosting
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. improving or increasing

verb · CEFR B2

making something better, stronger, or more successful.

For teachers: the act of increasing, augmenting, or improving the performance or status of something.

- The company is boosting its advertising budget to attract more customers this summer.
- By boosting the signal strength across the rural network, the provider significantly reduced the number of dropped calls during peak hours.

Usage: Often used with abstract nouns like 'morale', 'confidence', or 'economy'.

### 2. an improvement or lift

noun · CEFR B2

the process of giving something a push or an increase.

For teachers: the action or process of providing an increase or improvement.

- The boosting of the minimum wage helped many families pay their bills.
- The systematic boosting of the brand's social media presence led to a measurable rise in organic web traffic over the fiscal quarter.

### 3. shoplifting

noun · CEFR C1 · Slang · American English

stealing goods from a store to sell them later.

For teachers: the act of stealing retail merchandise, often for the purpose of resale.

- He got caught boosting clothes from the mall and had to talk to the police.
- The security team was specifically trained to identify professional boosting operations that targeted high-end designer boutiques.

Teaching tip: This is a specific American slang term; in most everyday contexts, 'shoplifting' is the standard term used by learners.

## Examples

- Exercise is boosting my energy levels today.
- The new marketing campaign is boosting sales across all regions.
- Strategic investments in renewable infrastructure are boosting national energy security while simultaneously reducing long-term operational costs.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.