afloat

[ uh-floht ]
See synonyms for afloat on Thesaurus.com
adverb, adjective
  1. floating or borne on the water; in a floating condition: The ship was set afloat.

  2. on board a ship, boat, raft, etc.; at sea: cargo afloat and ashore.

  1. covered with water; flooded; awash: The main deck was afloat.

  2. moving without being guided or controlled; drifting.

  3. passing from place to place; in circulation: A rumor is afloat.

  4. free of major trouble, especially financially solvent: to keep a venture afloat.

Origin of afloat

1
before 1000; Middle English, Old English on flote.See a-1, float

Other words from afloat

  • half-a·float, adjective

Words Nearby afloat

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use afloat in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for afloat

afloat

/ (əˈfləʊt) /


adjective, adverb(postpositive)
  1. floating

  2. aboard ship; at sea

  1. covered with water; flooded

  2. aimlessly drifting: afloat in a sea of indecision

  3. in circulation; afoot: nasty rumours were afloat

  4. free of debt; solvent

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012