boomshakalaka

B3O1O1M3S1H4A1K5A1L1A1K5A1
US/ˈbuːmˌʃɑkəˌlɑkə/

interjection

An exclamation expressing dominance, excitement, joy, or triumph.

Scrabble 28
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Meanings

interjection

alternative boom shakalaka

  1. slangAn exclamation expressing dominance, excitement, joy, or triumph.
nounboomshakalaka (plural boomshakalakas)

plural boomshakalakas · alternative boom shakalaka

  1. slangThe sound of a slam dunk and the board or chain rattling that follows.

Origin

Uncertain, but likely from the filler syllables boom-laka-laka-laka in the lyrics to the song “I Want to Take You Higher” (1969) by Sly and the Family Stone, which appeared as the corruption boom-shaka-laka-laka in subsequent covers; the modern shortened form boomshakalaka, as an apparent reference to “I Want to Take You Higher”, appeared in the military comedy film Stripes (1981). From there, a scriptwriter for the video game NBA Jam (1993) adopted it as onomatopoeic for a slam dunk in lines voiced by Tim Kitzrow, popularizing its use.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

boomshakalaka. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/boomshakalaka

MLA

“boomshakalaka.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/boomshakalaka. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “boomshakalaka,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/boomshakalaka.

Source: boomshakalaka on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.