Meaning & use
boffo
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivenot comparable
Extremely successful, impressive, or profitable, especially about a show, film, performance, or its ticket sales.
Grammar: Often sits before a noun or after be/seem: a boffo opening; the show was boffo.
Patterns
- a boffo hit
- boffo box office
- boffo opening weekend
- be boffo
The comedy became a boffo hit after strong reviews and sold-out crowds.
Critics expected a quiet run, but the play earned boffo box office in April.
The finale was pure entertainment, and the studio called the result boffo.
Common combinations
- a boffo hit
- The new musical is being advertised as a boffo hit.
- boffo box office
- Strong word of mouth turned boffo box office into a longer tour.
- a boffo opening
- The film had a boffo opening before holiday competition arrived.
- boffo ratings
- The finale drew boffo ratings for the small network.
Synonyms and how they differ
- smash
- More common in everyday speech; usually appears as “smash hit” and stresses huge popular success.
- blockbuster
- Often used for movies, games, or books with very large sales; less tied to stage or performance reviews.
- sensation
- Emphasizes excited public reaction and can describe a person, show, or event; it sounds less like industry jargon.
Opposites
Commonly confused: boffo or buffo? boffo or boffin?
boffo vs buffo
A comic bass role in opera; the spelling and context are different from show-business praise.
boffo vs boffin
A scientist or technical expert, especially in British English; it refers to a person, not success.
Practice
Choose the sentence that uses boffo naturally.
Choose one answer.
Boffo is an adjective, so it naturally modifies a noun such as “box office.” “Buffo” is an opera term, and “earned boffo” needs a following noun rather than standing alone.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “boffo”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.