buoy
Americannoun
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buoys
plural
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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.
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a life buoy.
verb (used with object)
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buoys,
present (3rd person singular)
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buoyed,
past participle, past
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buoying
present participle
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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.
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Nautical. to mark with a buoy or buoys.
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to sustain or encourage (often followed byup ).
Her courage was buoyed by the doctor's assurances.
verb (used without object)
-
buoys,
present (3rd person singular)
-
buoyed,
past participle, past
-
buoying
present participle
noun
verb
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to prevent from sinking
the belt buoyed him up
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to raise the spirits of; hearten
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(tr) nautical to mark (a channel or obstruction) with a buoy or buoys
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(intr) to rise to the surface
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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buoysimple
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buoyssimple
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have buoyedperfect
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has buoyedperfect
-
am buoyingprogressive
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are buoyingprogressive
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is buoyingprogressive
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have been buoyingperfect progressive
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has been buoyingperfect progressive
Past
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buoyedsimple
-
had buoyedperfect
-
was buoyingprogressive
-
were buoyingprogressive
-
had been buoyingperfect progressive
Future
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."
Vocabulary lists containing buoy
Vocabulary from "Stop Expecting Games to Build Empathy" by Julie Muncy
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This Week in Words: March 2 - 8, 2019
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
There’s an understandable temptation to let the fantasy buoy the film.
From Salon ● Oct. 26, 2026
Of course, Anthropic’s reasons for going public wouldn’t be to buoy stock-market sentiment toward AI.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026
The UK government said on Tuesday that national museums would remain free for foreign visitors, after previously floating the idea of charging tourists an entry fee to buoy the cash-strapped sector.
From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026
That suggests that, while low- and middle-income Americans might still be feeling pressured, high earners are ramping up their spending enough to buoy the whole business.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
Put the light behind you and steer for the big red buoy.
From "The Young Man and the Sea" by Rodman Philbrick
"We spotted life buoys and a lifeboat but it was empty. Unfortunately, no survivors have been found so far," he said, indicating that search and rescue operations were ongoing.
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
“The Jewish community sort of buoys him up and brings him back,” O’Brien said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
It is extending the border fence out to sea, attaching long lines of orange buoys to the jetty which ships will then patrol to deter future swimmers.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026
The rupee has hit new lows against the dollar, as a flight-to-safety buoys the greenback and rattles emerging-market currencies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026
Nailer started swimming beneath the boardwalk, easing his way to the buoys.
From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi
Through it all, they buoyed each other’s spirits.
From Slate ● Nov. 11, 2026
It draws on the talents of Oscar winners in visual effects and music, buoyed by a stellar cast featuring some of Indian cinema's biggest names.
From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2026
Total assets under management increased to $1.074 trillion, buoyed by inflows of $53 billion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
The Diablos beat San Juan Hills 54-44 in an epic Orange County shootout to secure its third consecutive Alpha League crown, buoyed by a bevy of explosive plays.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026
The top was down and the volunteer’s heart was buoyed up; he sang along with the rock ’n’ roll on the radio.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
Senate and the House of Representatives also appeared to be buoying Raman’s campaign against Bass from the left.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
Meanwhile, the company’s booming cloud business has been buoying its stock.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 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
Extraordinary demand for memory in the artificial-intelligence era is buoying the stock.
From MarketWatch ● May 27, 2026
She flew there, twenty-three feet up in the sky, the wind buoying her, her feet pointed behind.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
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