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
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.
BlackRock’s shares jumped early Wednesday after strong inflows into exchange-traded funds and buoyant markets helped the world’s biggest asset manager beat Wall Street’s earnings expectations.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
England walking off buoyant at the end of the first day in Perth seems a distant memory.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
Laga’aia’s Moana has a buoyant, likable optimism that mostly carries her through the fact that she doesn’t get to do much besides grin inanely.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
At the same time, buoyant lithosphere to the west generates an opposing force.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 28, 2026
She dances for days to her Beny More records, her hands in position for an impossibly lanky partner, to “Rebel Heart,” her slippers scraping the floor, to “Treat Me As I Am,” a buoyant guaracha.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
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.
