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buoyant

buoyant

6 5.3
Able to float in water or rise in air
  • adjective
  • /ˈbɔɪənt/
  • Specialized
: flotante
  • The buoyant material of the floaty allows it to rise easily to the surface.
  • buoyant force

It's it's it's neutrally buoyant, floating, swimming in the water.

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Examples

  • In winter, the lavender house seems to float in midair, buoyant and magical as a house in a child's storybook.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • Sleep was like a surface of salt water, so buoyant that it would not let him sink.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • Several groups are developing buoyant devices to harvest this energy.

    Academic text (2006)
  • The atmosphere, being a fluid, has a buoyant force operating on you.

  • It's so buoyant, it actually floats!

  • In addition, his submersibles will operate at all times in a positively buoyant state, which provides a big safety benefit.

    Academic text (1993)
  • A surfboard is as buoyant as a cork.

  • It keeps you so buoyant because of the salt content that it's hard to even just swim down because it's trying to push you up all the time.

  • The life jacket is buoyant, keeping you afloat in the water.

  • When the child jumped into the pool, the buoyant beach ball floated right beside him.

Synonyms

afloat
vsbuoyant
63 2.0

Floating on water like a boat and not sinking

describes the ability to float or rise rather than just the state
suspended
vsbuoyant
  • Specialized
8 5.8

Small pieces that float in water or air and do not sink

means the general power to float or rise rather than being dispersed
floaty
vsbuoyant
4 4.2

Light, soft fabric like a dress or curtains that moves easily in the air

is the neutral physical ability to float without the soft quality
lighter-than-air
vsbuoyant
  • Specialized
2 6.8

Able to rise and float in the air like a balloon or airship

covers rising or floating in either air or liquid, not only air
waterborne
vsbuoyant
1 3.9

A craft or object that floats on water like a boat

refers more generally to floating in liquid or air, not only water
floatable
vsbuoyant
1 3.2

Can float on water or stay in the air

is about easily rising as well as just staying at the surface
flotant
vsbuoyant
  • Archaic
8.2

Floating on water without sinking

includes floating in both liquid and air, not only water

Antonyms

756 1.0

A thing that has a lot of weight and is hard to lift

Compounds

A cheerful, lively person who stays optimistic and energetic

A happy, lively laugh that makes people feel better

How Buoyant

buoyant
  • Specialized
6 5.3
non-buoyant
1 7.6

Surface Forms

buoyant positive

Morphology

buoyant = buoy (transparent) = buoy + ant

The adjective is directly formed from 'buoy' with the adjectival suffix '-ant', producing the literal meaning 'able to float'.

Etymology

Buoyant comes from the same idea as the word buoy, a floating marker, and from old French words meaning 'to float'. So to be buoyant is to be able to 'float' or rise easily in water or air.