boonies

/ˈbuːniz/
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Remote countryside far from cities, usually with a US informal tone that can sound affectionate, dismissive, or comic.

Examples

  • The cabin is beautiful, but it is way out in the boonies.
  • We lost cell service as soon as we got out into the boonies.
  • She traded city rent for a quiet place in the boonies.
  • The old airstrip sat in the boonies, surrounded by pine woods.
  • He grew up in the boonies, miles from the nearest store.

Similar words

outback
boondocks
countryside
wilderness
hinterland
sticks
backwoods
bush

Meanings

Usage

Keep the informal, often US flavor in mind: the boonies usually suggests distance from city life, not simply a rural address.

Common mistakes

The boonies is mismatches the plural noun, and in boonies usually needs the before it.

Etymology

First recorded in the 1950s as a US shortening of boondocks, from Tagalog bundok, "mountain," adopted into American English through US military use in the Philippines and later reinforced in service slang.

FAQ

What does boonies mean?

Boonies means a remote rural area far from towns, cities, or convenient services.

Is boonies singular or plural?

Boonies is a plural noun and normally takes a plural verb, especially in the phrase the boonies.

Do people say the boonies or just boonies?

The usual phrase is the boonies, as in out in the boonies or way out in the boonies.

Is boonies informal?

Yes. Boonies is informal, mainly US English, and can sound casual, comic, or mildly dismissive.

Where does boonies come from?

It is a shortening of boondocks, which comes from Tagalog bundok, meaning "mountain."

Is boonies the same as boondocks?

Yes, boonies is a shorter informal form of boondocks, with the same main meaning.

Can boonies mean a hat?

The standard entry boonies means remote countryside. The hat is normally called a boonie hat, and boonie is a separate word.

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