Phrase guide

snowball effect

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

An accelerating growth of magnitude, including fame, fortune, importance, or danger.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

Examples

  • The success of these women has had the snowball effect of bringing more and more women into the sport over the past few years.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

By analogy with the way that a growing snowball collects snow faster and faster as it is rolled along.

Across languages

Translations

18 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: sneeubaleffek — accelerating growth
  • Arabic: تأثير كرة الثلج — accelerating growth
  • Azerbaijani: qartopu effekti — accelerating growth
  • Catalan: efecte bola de neu — accelerating growth
  • Chinese Mandarin: 雪球效應 /雪球效应 — accelerating growth
  • Danish: sneboldeffekt — accelerating growth
  • Dutch: sneeuwbaleffect — accelerating growth
  • Finnish: lumipalloefekti — accelerating growth
  • French: effet boule de neige — accelerating growth
  • Georgian: თოვლის გუნდის ეფექტი (tovlis gundis epekṭi) — accelerating growth
  • German: Schneeballeffekt — accelerating growth
  • Hebrew: אפקט כדור השלג — accelerating growth
  • Persian: اثر گلوله برفی — accelerating growth
  • Polish: efekt kuli śnieżnej — accelerating growth
  • Portuguese: efeito bola de neve — accelerating growth
  • Russian: эффе́кт сне́жного ко́ма (effékt snéžnovo kóma) — accelerating growth
  • Swedish: snöbollseffekt — accelerating growth
  • Turkish: kar topu etkisi — accelerating growth