buoyant
Americanadjective
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tending to float in a fluid.
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capable of keeping a body afloat, as a liquid.
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not easily depressed; cheerful.
- Synonyms:
- sunny, jaunty, breezy, lighthearted, happy
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cheering or invigorating.
adjective
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able to float in or rise to the surface of a liquid
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(of a liquid or gas) able to keep a body afloat or cause it to rise
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cheerful or resilient
Other Word Forms
- buoyantly adverb
- nonbuoyant adjective
- nonbuoyantly adverb
- unbuoyant adjective
- unbuoyantly adverb
Etymology
Origin of buoyant
Explanation
Something that is buoyant floats in water. Since floating is happier than sinking, buoyant also refers to things are fun and upbeat. Someone with a buoyant personality is fun to be around, laughs a lot, smiles, and cheers other people up. Buoyant people are lively and lighthearted — the opposite of sad, depressed, and bummed out. Buoyant people are also called bubbly and cheerful, and it should help to remember that buoyant objects float — just like a buoyant person can seem like they're floating too (as in the expression "floating on air").
Vocabulary lists containing buoyant
Words to Capture Your Joy
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
In the Mood? 100 Words to Describe Emotions
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More Positive Words to Describe a Person
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
That’s because a buoyant stock market lifted capital gains.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026
Together the three came up with “Love in Exile,” a buoyant, falsetto-filled number with welcome echoes of the Doobies’ “What a Fool Believes,” which McDonald and Loggins co-wrote half a century ago.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026
He can now point to a result that suggests the party's buoyant opinion poll ratings since he became leader have some substance to them.
From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026
While the economy is "buoyant," the IMF warned that "uncertainty around trade policies could represent a larger-than- expected drag on activity."
From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026
Each year before the first day of school, Lillian would deliver a buoyant address that was always a variation on a theme.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
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.
