buoyant

adjective

buoy·​ant ˈbȯi-ənt How to pronounce buoyant (audio)
ˈbü-yənt
Synonyms of buoyant
: having buoyancy
Warm air is more buoyant than cool air.
: such as
a
: capable of floating
Cork is naturally buoyant.
b
: cheerful, gay
in a buoyant mood
c
: capable of maintaining a satisfactorily high level
a buoyant economy
buoyantly adverb

Examples of buoyant in a Sentence

Warm air is more buoyant than cool air. The actors were buoyant as they prepared for the evening's performance.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Johnson and his colleagues are now arguing that the formation of continents on Earth was caused largely by an intense, sustained barrage of asteroid impacts that kept the early crust hot and thin enough to make buoyant continents possible. Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 5 July 2026 But estimate-beating earnings reports and buoyant guidance—which the 1990s tech bubble lacked—haven’t been enough to sustain bullishness as investors start to doubt whether profits will come in as strong as expected. Jason Ma, Fortune, 5 July 2026 Princess Diana had a flair for serotonin dressing that matched her buoyant and fashion-forward personality. Katherine J Igoe, InStyle, 1 July 2026 Powering oil operations with wind turbine A tension-leg platform (TLP) is a buoyant, floating structure moored to the seafloor by taut, vertical steel cables. Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for buoyant

Word History

Etymology

see buoy entry 1

First Known Use

1578, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of buoyant was in 1578

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Buoyant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buoyant. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

buoyant

adjective
buoy·​ant ˈbȯi-ənt How to pronounce buoyant (audio)
ˈbü-yənt
1
: having buoyancy
especially : capable of floating
2
: being in a happy mood : cheerful
buoyantly adverb

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