buoyant

adjective

buoy·​ant ˈbȯi-ənt 

ˈbü-yənt

: having buoyancy

Warm air is more buoyant than cool air.

: such as

a

: capable of floating

Cork is naturally buoyant.

b

: cheerful, gay

in a buoyant mood

c

: capable of maintaining a satisfactorily high level

a buoyant economy

buoyantly adverb

Synonyms of buoyant

• cheerful
• optimistic
• bright

Examples of buoyant in a Sentence

Warm air is more buoyant than cool air.

The actors were buoyant as they prepared for the evening's performance.

Recent Examples on the Web

The bold plan Compared to offshore wind farms drilled into the seabed, floating wind farms use buoyant platforms that float on the water’s surface, secured by a complex system of mooring lines and anchors. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 27 Apr. 2026

The inflated globe was light and buoyant. —Julian Bell, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026

Russell showed off some of the vehicle's key features, including a buoyant main body made from syntactic foam, a high performance material designed to withstand enormous pressure while maintaining flotation at massive depths. —Jacob Wycoff, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026

The cake's crumb is buoyant enough to keep the berries from sinking to the bottom of the batter but light enough to be delicate and tender. —Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 20 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see buoy entry 1

First Known Use

1578, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for buoyant

• clairvoyant
• flamboyant

Kids Definition

buoyant

adjective

buoy·​ant ˈbȯi-ənt 

ˈbü-yənt

1

: having buoyancy

especially : capable of floating

2

: being in a happy mood : cheerful

buoyantly adverb