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
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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
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had buoyedperfect
-
was buoyingprogressive
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were buoyingprogressive
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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: September 25 - October 1, 2017
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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:
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
Then I grab the next buoy, pull on the line until I feel the trap lift off the bottom.
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 ships and sub all survey surrounding waters using their sonar arrays, supplemented by signals from sonar buoys that they and aircraft drop nearby.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 11, 2026
Can’t quite make it out, but it’s got to be Tyler, grabbing my buoys in the water and cutting the line, then moving along to the next buoy.
From "The Young Man and the Sea" by Rodman Philbrick
Die-hards like my pals trudged on, buoyed by generational talent Mike Trout and the occasional flash-in-the-pan prospect.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
The Orange Order is buoyed by success at court and a march date in late September is being discussed.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
The buyback buoyed global market sentiment more broadly, with U.S. stock futures mostly pointing higher Thursday after making modest gains in the last session.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
Analysts say Kim now enjoys greater global stature, buoyed by crucial backing from Russia and China as well as an improving economy.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
In fact, mobility, which once buoyed the working lives of Americans as it rose in the decades after World War II, has lately flattened out or possibly even declined, many researchers say.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
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
Gauges of factory activity showed more evidence of supply-chain disruptions from the war, with stockpiling buoying production as cost pressures intensify.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 4, 2026
Kalia believes the company casts a “wide net” across the identity market, buoying growing demand for the platform.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 20, 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
He had a simple, buoying faith that if you stuck to your principles, things would work out.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
