Dictionary.com
definitions

buoyant

[boi-uhnt, boo-yuhnt]
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR buoyant ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

tending to float in a fluid.
capable of keeping a body afloat, as a liquid.
not easily depressed; cheerful.
cheering or invigorating.

RELATED WORDS

resilient, bouncy, expansive, peppy, sunny, breezy, cheerful, bright, jovial, lively, joyful, jaunty, lighthearted, afloat, airy, floating, weightless, floatable, supernatant, unsinkable

Nearby words

  1. buoyage,
  2. buoyance,
  3. buoyancy,
  4. buoyancy bags,
  5. buoyancy compensator,
  6. buoyant force,
  7. buoyantly,
  8. bupa,
  9. buphthalmia,
  10. bupivacaine

Origin of buoyant

First recorded in 1570–80; buoy + -ant
Related forms
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for buoyant

British Dictionary definitions for buoyant

buoyant

adjective

able to float in or rise to the surface of a liquid
(of a liquid or gas) able to keep a body afloat or cause it to rise
cheerful or resilient

Word Origin for buoyant

C16: probably from Spanish boyante, from boyar to float, from boya buoy, ultimately of Germanic origin
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
Word Origin and History for buoyant

buoyant

adj.

1570s, perhaps from Spanish boyante, present participle of boyar "to float," from boya "buoy," from Dutch boei (see buoy (n.)). Of personalities, etc., from c.1748. Related: Buoyantly.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper