Meaning & use
to boot
Last updated
UK/tə ˈbuːt/
US/tə ˈbuːt/
Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
As an extra point, added to emphasize what has just been said.
Grammar: Comes at the end of a clause: he is rich and kind to boot.
Patterns
- adjective and adjective to boot
She is smart and funny to boot.
The apartment is cheap, and it has a garden to boot.
He lost his job and his car to boot.
Common combinations
- smart to boot
- He is a skilled cook, and smart to boot.
- rich to boot
- She is beautiful, and rich to boot.
- free to boot
- The software works well, and it's free to boot.
- and to boot
- He forgot my name, and to boot, he was late.
Synonyms and how they differ
- besides
- Besides is plainer and can start a sentence, while to boot always follows the main idea.
- as well
- As well is neutral and common, while to boot sounds slightly old-fashioned and playful.
- into the bargain
- Into the bargain is a similar British idiom that often suggests an extra surprise.
- on top of that
- On top of that is modern and can introduce negatives or positives with equal ease.
Word family
- boot noun
- in old English, an advantage or extra
Commonly confused: to boot or to boot up?
to boot vs to boot up
To boot up means to start a computer, which is unrelated to adding an extra point.
Practice
Her new house is huge, and it has a pool ___.
Choose one answer.
To boot is the fixed phrase meaning in addition. The other prepositions do not form any idiom.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “to boot”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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