buoy

American  

[boo-ee, boi] / ˈbu i, bɔɪ /

noun

• buoys
  plural

1. Nautical. a distinctively shaped and marked float, sometimes carrying a signal or signals, anchored to mark a channel, anchorage, navigational hazard, etc., or to provide a mooring place away from the shore.

2. a life buoy.

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verb (used with object)

• buoys,
  present (3rd person singular)
• buoyed,
  past participle,  past
• buoying
  present participle

1. to keep afloat or support by or as if by a life buoy; keep from sinking (often followed byup ).

   The life jacket buoyed her up until help arrived.

2. Nautical. to mark with a buoy or buoys.

3. to sustain or encourage (often followed byup ).

   Her courage was buoyed by the doctor's assurances.

   Synonyms:

   nurture, maintain, lighten, boost, uplift, lift

verb (used without object)

• buoys,
  present (3rd person singular)
• buoyed,
  past participle,  past
• buoying
  present participle

1. to float or rise by reason of lightness.

buoy British  

/ ˈbuːɪ, bɔɪ /

noun

1. a distinctively shaped and coloured float, anchored to the bottom, for designating moorings, navigable channels, or obstructions in a body of water See also life buoy

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verb

1. to prevent from sinking

   the belt buoyed him up

2. to raise the spirits of; hearten

3. (tr) nautical to mark (a channel or obstruction) with a buoy or buoys

4. (intr) to rise to the surface

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• buoys
  plural

Participles

• buoying
  present
• buoyed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• buoy
  simple
• buoys
  simple
• have buoyed
  perfect
• has buoyed
  perfect
• am buoying
  progressive
• are buoying
  progressive
• is buoying
  progressive
• have been buoying
  perfect progressive
• has been buoying
  perfect progressive

Past

• buoyed
  simple
• had buoyed
  perfect
• was buoying
  progressive
• were buoying
  progressive
• had been buoying
  perfect progressive

Future

• will buoy
  simple
• will have buoyed
  perfect
• will be buoying
  progressive
• will have been buoying
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of buoy

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English boye “a float,” from unattested Middle French boie, boue(e), from Germanic; akin to beacon

Explanation

A buoy is a floating marker that indicates the presence of underwater hazards, channels, or places for tying up boats. When buoy is a verb, it can mean to float like a buoy, literally or figuratively. Winning an award could buoy your spirits as if you are floating with pride. The verb buoy can mean "boost or increase." There aren't many things that will buoy your confidence as much as repeated compliments on how great your new haircut looks. Imagine seeing water buoy up an enormous swan, or the wind buoy up a kite. A more figurative meaning of buoy is to cheer or lift someone's spirits. One way to remember buoy's unusual spelling is the phrase, "Boats usually opt to steer around a buoy."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

buoy buoys buoyed buoying

Some of the best support, Ghazalian said, has come from lighthearted comments, which have helped buoy their spirits.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026

But even the strongest sequences, like the opening scene where Teyana Taylor references her Oscar loss, filmed only a few months ago, can’t buoy those that flatline on arrival.

From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2026

It’s got a big-boy suspension—with front coilover struts and multi-link rear suspension—tastefully tart steering response and above-par roadholding, thanks to a center of gravity like a sea buoy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 16, 2026

Japan’s AI-critical manufacturers and a 12% export jump in first-quarter 2026 buoy its economy; it holds $1.25 trillion in U.S.

From Barron's ● May 14, 2026

She smiled, and I swear it wasn’t cute, it wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t playful, it wasn’t anything other than brave, and that smile bobbed like a buoy in the pit of me.

From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely

The buoys mark a voluntary no-anchor zone, to encourage water users to avoid anchoring, reduce seabed damage, and protect declining seagrass habitats.

From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026

The cage, China’s second, remains in the shared zone and added to a network of more than a dozen data-collection buoys discovered in the area since 2018.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026

The sea has to be calm enough, ice cleared from the boat, GPS buoys still where she left them.

From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026

The researchers showed that multiple tubes can be connected to form rafts, which could serve as the foundation for ships, buoys, or floating platforms.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 30, 2026

It was bigger than any our master owned, with a line of jerrican buoys dotted at intervals over what must have been a kilometer.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo

Jeff Bezos has cemented his standing as one of the wealthiest individuals in history—with a personal net worth hovering around $200 billion, and buoyed by Amazon’s relentless valuation growth.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026

The health care sector has buoyed the US labor market over the last year, with more Americans aging and requiring medical assistance.

From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026

But you can hear the heart in Haggard’s leathery vocals, buoyed by the sweet harmonies of his backing band.

From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026

While Frick struggles with what she calls a “culture of takedown,” she says she is buoyed by the individual stories she hears from readers who have been moved by Dial’s books.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

Once through the strait, nine days I drifted in the open sea before I made shore, buoyed up by the gods, upon Ogygia Isle.

From "The Odyssey" by Homer

U.S. stock futures jumped in early European trade as artificial-intelligence stocks rode a fresh wave of optimism, buoying indexes in Asia and Europe.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

Also on the BIS list were concerns over the longevity of the artificial intelligence investment boom, which has been buoying global growth and keeping it going through crises like last year's tariff hikes.

From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026

Stephens analyst Todd Weller told MarketWatch that broad-based strength in software and cybersecurity was also buoying the stock on Monday.

From MarketWatch ● May 18, 2026

Prospects of an extended U.S.-Iran cease-fire are buoying tech fortunes by potentially reducing energy prices.

From Barron's ● Apr. 17, 2026

In buoying me up, reading also cast me down, made me see what was possible, what I had missed.

From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright

Related Words

• beacon