zoom

[ zoom ]
See synonyms for zoom on Thesaurus.com
verb (used without object)
  1. to move quickly or suddenly with a loud humming or buzzing sound: cars zooming by on the freeway.

  2. to fly an airplane suddenly and sharply upward at great speed for a short distance, as in regaining altitude, clearing an obstacle, or signaling.

  1. Movies, Television. to bring a subject, scene, etc., into closeup or cause it to recede into a long shot using a zoom lens and while maintaining focus.

  2. Informal. to increase or rise suddenly and sharply: Rents would zoom without rent control laws.

verb (used with object)
  1. to cause (an airplane) to zoom.

  2. to fly over (an obstacle) by zooming.

noun
  1. the act or process of zooming.

  2. a zooming sound.

  1. Informal. zoom lens.

  2. Also called zoom shot. Movies, Television. a shot in which a subject, scene, or action is brought closer or made to recede by the use of a zoom lens.

Verb Phrases
  1. zoom in (on),

    • to bring (a subject, scene, etc.) into closeup by using a zoom lens: to zoom in for a look at the injured man; to zoom in on a candidate at a political convention.

    • to examine more closely or in greater detail; focus on: The panel zoomed in on the subject of abortion.

Origin of zoom

1
First recorded in 1885–90; imitative

Other words for zoom

Other definitions for Zoom (2 of 2)

Zoom
[ zoom ]

Trademark.
  1. a brand name for a software application and online service that enables voice and video phone calls over the internet.

verb (used with or without object)
  1. to participate in a real-time conversation with (one or more people) using Zoom: Yesterday the kids Zoomed their grandparents in Florida.We Zoom with remote staff during our Friday meetings.

Origin of Zoom

2
First recorded in 2010–15; shortening of Zoom Video Communications

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use zoom in a sentence

  • Three times a great bare peak loomed suddenly up ahead of us, and Charlie averted collision only by zooming suddenly upward.

  • When Stan came zooming out of the top of the cloud, they were a bit startled and showed it by their hesitation.

  • They went up rather steeply; but the ace was not zooming; he knew his machine.

    Ruth Fielding Homeward Bound | Alice B. Emerson
  • The Wellington went zooming out into a world of brilliant sunshine—and considerably more than that.

  • A wild cry of alarm rose up in Dawson's throat, but his zooming heart won the race to his mouth and choked it off.

British Dictionary definitions for zoom

zoom

/ (zuːm) /


verb
  1. to make or cause to make a continuous buzzing or humming sound

  2. to move or cause to move with such a sound

  1. (intr) to move very rapidly; rush: we zoomed through town

  2. to cause (an aircraft) to climb briefly at an unusually steep angle, or (of an aircraft) to climb in this way

  3. (intr) (of prices) to rise rapidly

noun
  1. the sound or act of zooming

Origin of zoom

1
C20: of imitative origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012