A boiler room is a term used to describe a high-pressure sales environment where salespeople use aggressive and unethical tactics to sell overpriced or fraudulent investments to unsuspecting investors. The term has its roots in the industrial era when steam boilers were used to power machinery in factories. Today, the term is commonly used to describe fraudulent telemarketing operations.
Definitions
A boiler room is a high-pressure sales environment where salespeople use aggressive and unethical tactics to sell overpriced or fraudulent investments to unsuspecting investors. The term is also used to describe a room or building that houses a boiler or other heating equipment.
Origin
The term boiler room has its roots in the industrial era when steam boilers were used to power machinery in factories. The term was later adopted by the securities industry to describe fraudulent telemarketing operations that use high-pressure sales tactics to sell overpriced or fraudulent investments to unsuspecting investors.
Meaning in different dictionaries
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a boiler room is “a room equipped with one or more steam boilers, used for heating or for generating power.” In the context of securities fraud, the term refers to “a high-pressure sales operation in which salespeople use questionable or unethical tactics to sell overpriced or fraudulent securities.”
Associations
The term boiler room is often associated with securities fraud and telemarketing scams. It is also associated with high-pressure sales environments and unethical sales tactics.
Synonyms
Synonyms for boiler room include telemarketing scam, securities fraud, high-pressure sales environment, and unethical sales tactics.
Antonyms
Antonyms for boiler room include ethical sales practices, transparent investment opportunities, and legitimate investment firms.
The same root words
The root words of boiler room are “boiler” and “room.” Boiler refers to a vessel in which water is heated to produce steam, which is used to power machinery or generate electricity. Room refers to a space enclosed by walls and a ceiling.
Example Sentences
- The Securities and Exchange Commission shut down a boiler room operation that was selling fraudulent investments to unsuspecting investors.
- The boiler room in the basement of the building was used to heat the entire complex.
- The salespeople in the boiler room used high-pressure tactics to sell overpriced and fraudulent investments.
- The boiler room was so hot and noisy that it was difficult to concentrate on anything else.
- The boiler room was filled with the sound of hissing steam and clanging pipes.