bonanza

noun

bo·​nan·​za bə-ˈnan-zə 

1

mining : an exceptionally large and rich mineral deposit (as of an ore, precious metal, or petroleum)

2

a

: something that is very valuable, profitable, or rewarding

a box-office bonanza

b

: a very large amount

a bonanza of sympathy

c

: extravaganza

channels planning all-day viewing bonanzas

—William Borders

Examples of bonanza in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Bruins enjoyed that sort of bonanza in their NCAA tournament opener Thursday night, withstanding an injury scare to Aday Mara to win so comfortably that walk-on Jack Seidler was able to dribble out the final seconds to cheers inside Rupp Arena. —Austin Knoblauch, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2025

Other top administration lunch guests include chief of staff Susie Wiles, Trump's top foreign emissary Steve Witkoff and deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, the architect of Trump's shock-and-awe executive order bonanza. —Marc Caputo, Axios, 5 Mar. 2025

Frazier believes that the effort has been hindered by friction between local and out-of-state descendants, and between those groups and non-descendant residents who feel excluded from the media bonanza. —Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025

American adversaries surely see an espionage and blackmail bonanza. —James Goldgeier, Foreign Affairs, 7 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, literally, calm sea, from Medieval Latin bonacia, alteration of Latin malacia, from Greek malakia, literally, softness, from malakos soft

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for bonanza

• extravaganza
• stanza

Kids Definition

bonanza

noun

bo·​nan·​za bə-ˈnan-zə 

1

: a large and rich mineral deposit

2

: something that brings a rich return