boot
gb/bˈut/ us/bˈut/
A1
English
~ 2300
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
entity
1
Sturdy shoe covering ankle
A strong shoe that covers your foot and ankle, and sometimes part of your leg.
Usage pattern:
to wear [boots]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'boot' with 'shoe' and use them interchangeably without noting that a boot covers the ankle or higher.
Synonyms
shoe (A more general term; not all shoes are boots.)
Antonyms
sandal (An open type of footwear, opposite in coverage to a boot.)
Collocations
hiking boots
|leather boots
|ankle boots
|cowboy boots
|knee-high boots
Themes
clothing
|daily life
|fashion
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She put on her hiking boots before heading to the trail.
- The cowboy's boots were covered in dust.
- I bought a new pair of black leather boots for winter.
- These boots are waterproof, so your feet will stay dry.
- He wore heavy boots to protect his feet while working.
Learner examples
- I wear boots in the snow.
- Her boots are brown.
- These boots are very warm.
- He buys new boots every year.
- The boots are on the floor.
Noun
A2
entity
2
Car's rear storage space
The space at the back of a car where you put bags or other things (British English).
Usage pattern:
put [something] in the boot
Common mistake:
Learners using American English may incorrectly say 'boot' when 'trunk' is expected, or vice versa.
Synonyms
trunk (American English equivalent of this British English term.)
Collocations
car boot
|open the boot
|boot space
Themes
transportation
|daily life
|travel
|daily_life
Examples
- She put the groceries in the car's boot.
- The spare tire is stored in the boot.
- He opened the boot to load the luggage.
- We found an old blanket in the boot.
- The boot was full, so we had to put bags on the back seat.
Learner examples
- The bags are in the boot.
- Open the boot, please.
- I put my suitcase in the boot.
- The boot is empty.
- He opened the boot.
Verb
technical
B1
action
3
Start up a computer system
To turn on a computer so it can start working.
Usage pattern:
boot [a computer/system]
Common mistake:
Some learners confuse 'boot' with 'reboot', which means to restart rather than start from off state.
Synonyms
start up (More general; can refer to machines or businesses, not only computers.)
Antonyms
shut down (To turn off a computer or system, opposite of booting.)
Collocations
boot up
|boot sequence
|boot disk
Themes
technology
|computing
|work
Examples
- It takes only seconds to boot this laptop.
- Please boot up the server before 9 a.m.
- The computer won't boot because of a missing file.
- She pressed the power button to boot her PC.
- You must boot from the installation disk to repair the system.
Learner examples
- I boot my computer every morning.
- Please boot up the laptop.
- The computer will not boot.
- Boot the system now.
- He boots his PC before work.
Verb
informal
B2
action
4
Force someone to leave suddenly
To make someone leave a place or job quickly and without kindness.
Usage pattern:
boot [someone] out/of/from [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may incorrectly use 'boot' without 'out' or 'from' when meaning 'remove', making sentences unclear.
Synonyms
expel (More formal; often used in academic or official contexts.)
Antonyms
invite (To ask someone to come or stay, opposite of forcing them out.)
Collocations
boot out
|boot from office
Themes
social
|work
|law
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- They booted him out of the club for bad behavior.
- She was booted from her position after the scandal.
- The landlord booted them out for not paying rent.
- Security booted out several rowdy fans.
- He got booted from the team after missing too many practices.
Learner examples
- They booted him out of class.
- The teacher booted her from the room.
- He was booted from the game.
- We were booted out of the shop.
- The manager booted me from my job.
Noun
informal
B2
entity
5
Extra benefit or bonus
Something extra you get in addition to what you already have.
Common mistake:
'To boot' is idiomatic; learners may try to use it literally with shoes or kicking, causing confusion.
Synonyms
bonus (Common term for extra benefit, especially in work or finance contexts.)
Themes
business
|daily life
|finance
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He’s smart, and handsome to boot.
- They gave us free drinks to boot with our meal.
- We got a discount and free delivery to boot.
- She’s an excellent singer and a gifted pianist to boot.
- It’s quick, easy, and cheap to boot.
Learner examples
- He is nice and rich to boot.
- We got free food to boot.
- It is big and cheap to boot.
- She is kind and smart to boot.
- We got help and money to boot.
Grammar
Dictionary form
boot
IPA
GB/bˈut/
US/bˈut/
Syllables & stress
boot (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (boot)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: boot
- Plural: boots
Verb
- Base: boot
- 3rd Person Singular: boots
- Present Participle: booting
- Past: booted
Word family
Forms
boots
noun
booting
verb
booted
verb
Related words
bootlace
noun
reboot
verb
Advanced or less common
bootable
adjective
Expressions
boot out
1/bˈut ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
informal
Force someone out of somewhere suddenly
To make someone leave a place quickly and without kindness.
Examples
- They booted him out of the club for bad behavior.
- Security will boot out anyone without a ticket.
give someone the boot
1/ɡˈɪv sˈʌmwˌʌn ðə bˈut/
idiom
informal
Dismiss someone from a job suddenly
To remove someone from their job quickly and without kindness.
Examples
- They gave him the boot after only three months on the job.
- If you’re late again, you’ll get the boot.
to boot
1/tə bˈut/
fixed phrase
informal
As an extra benefit or bonus
Used to add something extra to what you have already said.
Examples
- It’s cheap and stylish to boot.
- She’s a great leader and funny to boot.
to boot up
1/tə bˈut ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
technical
Start a computer system
To turn on a computer so it can start working.
Examples
- It takes only seconds to boot up this laptop.
- Please boot up the server before 9 a.m.