buoyant

adjective

buoy·​ant ˈbȯi-ənt How to pronounce buoyant (audio)
ˈbü-yənt
: 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 The music was tight, buoyant, punk-inflected, and exploratory enough to explain what the tapers were doing there. Justin Taylor, The New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2024 The once buoyant tech founder was now staring down a prison sentence that could carry an astonishing 43,000 years. Leif Wenar, WIRED, 2 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for buoyant 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'buoyant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near buoyant

Cite this Entry

“Buoyant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buoyant. Accessed 3 May. 2024.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on buoyant

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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