noun
boonies
BOO-neez
noun
1
A remote, rural, or unfashionable area, far from any city (informal); short for "boondocks."
"They moved out to the boonies for cheaper rent and more space."
How to Use Boonies
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAn informal way of saying somewhere is remote and far from city life.
When to use it
Casual and often used a little jokingly or dismissively about a place.
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “boonies”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
They moved out to the _____ for cheaper rent and more space.
Etymology
A clipped form of "boondocks," which was popularized by US troops in the Vietnam War to describe remote rural areas, ultimately from a Tagalog word for "mountain."