box-office

The box-office is selling tickets for the evening performance.

Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Relating to commercial success in entertainment: "box-office" describes something (such as a film, actor, or performance) that is likely to attract large audiences and generate significant revenue from ticket sales.
   • Indicating financial performance: Refers to the amount of money earned from ticket sales at a venue, especially a cinema or theatre.

2. Noun (less common):

   • A ticket-selling counter: "box-office" can also refer to the physical location where tickets are sold at a theatre, cinema, or concert hall. (This usage is often hyphenated as a compound noun, e.g., "the box-office is open.")

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • The film was a box-office hit, grossing over $100 million in its first week. (The film was very commercially successful.)
  • She is a box-office star, meaning her name alone guarantees high ticket sales. (She is a performer who attracts many paying viewers.)

• Noun:

  • I bought my ticket at the box-office before the show started. (I purchased the ticket at the counter where tickets are sold.)

Advanced Usage

• "box-office draw": a person or thing that attracts large audiences.

  • The actor is a major box-office draw for any film he appears in. (His presence guarantees many people will buy tickets.)

• "box-office bomb": a film or show that fails financially.

  • Despite the hype, the movie was a box-office bomb, losing millions. (It earned very little money compared to its cost.)

• "box-office receipts": the total amount of money collected from ticket sales.

  • Box-office receipts for the summer season exceeded expectations. (The total revenue from tickets was higher than predicted.)

Variants and Related Words

• Box-office (noun) (also written as "box office" without a hyphen): the ticket-selling location.

  • The box office opened at 10 a.m. (The ticket counter started selling at that time.)

• Box-office (adjective) (always hyphenated when used before a noun): related to financial success.

  • The film’s box-office performance was poor. (Its ticket sales were low.)

Synonyms

• Commercial: relating to profit or financial success.
• Hit: a great success (used as a noun, e.g., "a box-office hit").
• Blockbuster: a very successful and popular film or show.

Related Idioms

• Break the box office: to achieve exceptionally high ticket sales.

  • The sequel broke the box office, setting a new record for opening weekend. (It earned more than any previous film in that period.)

• Box-office poison: a person or thing that causes a film to fail financially.

  • After several flops, he became box-office poison in Hollywood. (His presence in a film now reduces its chances of success.)