boost

Compared meaning: to help something develop or improve (verb).

比较义项：促进、帮助…发展、提高（动词）。

• promote

  Formal and neutral; used for helping an abstract cause, value or product become known or accepted, e.g. promoting health, education or a product — not about a sudden or measurable increase.

  语气正式、中性；用于帮助某个抽象的理念、价值观或产品被了解或接受，例如促进健康、教育或宣传产品，不强调突然或可衡量的增长。

  The teacher tries to promote good reading habits in her students.

  这位老师努力在她的学生中提倡良好的阅读习惯。

• advance

  Emphasizes moving something forward to a higher or further stage, often a career, field of knowledge or process; implies progress over time rather than a quick jump.

  强调把某事物推进到更高或更远的阶段，常用于职业、某一领域的知识或某个过程；强调随时间推移取得的进展，而非快速的跃升。

  New evidence has helped advance the police investigation significantly.

  新的证据极大地推进了警方的调查。

• boost 本词

  Informal and dynamic; means to give something a quick, noticeable increase in strength, amount or effect, typically short-term, e.g. boosting energy, morale or sales.

  语气口语化、富有活力；指使某事物的力度、数量或效果迅速、明显地提高，通常是短期的，例如提高能量、士气或销量。

  A cup of coffee in the morning can boost your energy and concentration.

  早上一杯咖啡可以提高你的精力和专注力。

Promote, advance, and boost all mean to help something improve. Promote is formal, used for an abstract cause or product becoming known. Advance means moving something forward to a further stage, like a career. Boost is informal, meaning a quick, noticeable increase, like boosting energy.

这三个词在此义项中都可表示“促进、提高、帮助发展”，但语气和搭配不同：promote 语气正式、中性，常用于抽象的理念、价值观或产品；advance 强调“把某事物推进到更高或更远的阶段”，常搭配 career、research 等；boost 语气更口语化，强调“迅速、明显地提高”，常搭配 energy、morale、sales 等具体对象。这里不比较 promote 的“提升职位”义，也不比较 advance 的“提前”义（如 in advance）。

Compared meaning: a big increase or rise (noun).

比较义项：（价格、信心等的）大幅上涨／提升（名词）。

• hike

  Refers to a sudden, often steep increase, usually in price, cost, tax or rate; carries a neutral-to-negative, complaining tone and rarely applies to feelings.

  指突然且往往幅度很大的上涨，通常用于价格、成本、税率等；语气中性偏负面，很少用于形容情绪。

  The airline announced another price hike just before the holiday season.

  这家航空公司在假期前又宣布了一次价格上涨。

• boost 本词

  Refers to something that raises or improves confidence, energy or activity; carries a positive, helpful tone and does not imply suddenness or a large size.

  指使信心、活力或业务等得到提升的事物；语气积极正面，不强调突然性或幅度之大。

  Meeting her mentor gave Mia a real boost of confidence before the interview.

  面试前，与导师的会面确实给了米娅很大的信心提升。

Hike and boost both mean an increase, but hike is a sudden, large rise in price, cost, or tax and sounds negative, while boost is an improvement in confidence, energy, or business and sounds positive. Hike meaning 'to walk in mountains' is not compared here.

这两个词都能表示某种“增长”，但语气和用法不同：hike 常指价格、税率等突然大幅上涨，语气偏负面；boost 则指信心、活力或业务等得到提升，语气偏正面，不一定突然或剧烈。这里不比较 hike 作动词“徒步爬山”的义项（如例句中的“hike up the mountain”）。