Dictionary

buoyant en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈbɔɪ.ənt/

Etymology

Etymology tree English buoy Proto-Indo-European *-onts Latin -ns Latin -āns Old French -antbor. Proto-Indo-European *-onts Proto-Germanic *-ndz Proto-West Germanic *-andī Old English -ende Middle English -ant English -ant English buoyant From buoy + -ant.

Meanings

1. Having buoyancy; able to float.
   • And of course, in order to understand the Earth's past and how it got to where it now is, it is important to have a basic knowledge of plate tectonics, which explains how the planet's continental and oceanic crusts are part of the lithospheric plates that are buoyant and ride upon the highly viscous asthenosphere. 2012, Chinle Miller, In Mesozoic Lands: The Mesozoic Geology of Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, Kindle edition:
2. (figuratively) Lighthearted and lively.
   • There was no delirium when he awoke in the morning. Instead, there was only a feeling of buoyant health. In fact, Dave Hanson had never felt that good in his life—or his former life. He reconsidered his belief that there was no delirium, wondering if the feeling were not itself a form of hallucination. 1963, Lester del Rey, The Sky Is Falling:
   • I’m in a buoyant mood.
3. Involving or engaged in much successful trade or activity. (of an economy, business etc.)
   • [...] the accelerated, high-frequency East Coast express timetable, operating this year in a buoyant economic environment, is beginning to attract more business travel to rail (although there is still a long way to go before the potential is fully realised); [...]. 1964 September, G. Freeman Allen, “Interim report on the East Coast Route express service”, in Modern Railways, page 158:
   • It[China] had a buoyant economy outperforming forecasts. Its unemployment rate was among the lowest in years. While consolidating his power for a second term, Mr Xi proudly pointed to China's "flourishing" growth model as something other countries could emulate. 2023 November 15, Tessa Wong, “Xi Jinping arrives in US as his Chinese Dream sputters”, in BBC:

Forms

Deriveds

buoyantness · unbuoyant · superbuoyant · overbuoyant · semibuoyant · buoyantly · nonbuoyant

Relateds

buoy up · buoying · buoyancy · buoy · Archimedes' principle

Synonyms

successful · thriving

Translations (36)

mk пловен (able to float) · de lebhaft (lighthearted and lively) · et elurõõmus (lighthearted and lively) · de beschwingt (lighthearted and lively) · ru плаву́чий (able to float) · sv yster (lighthearted and lively) · sv flytande (able to float) · nl drijvend (able to float) · mi puhau (able to float) · uk плавни́й (able to float) · cy hynawf (able to float) · mi puwhau (able to float) · fr gai (lighthearted and lively) · vi nổi (able to float) · fr flottant (able to float) · de schwimmfähig (able to float) · sv nyter (lighthearted and lively) · ru жизнера́достный (lighthearted and lively) · de schwimmend (able to float) · fr flottable (able to float) · fi kepeä (lighthearted and lively) · fr léger (lighthearted and lively) · ro vioi (lighthearted and lively) · sh plovan (able to float) · ro flotant (able to float) · fi kelluva (able to float) · fr joyeux (lighthearted and lively) · io lejera (lighthearted and lively) · sh plivajući (able to float) · et ujuv (able to float) · io flotaciva (able to float) · ro plutitor (able to float) · de heiter (lighthearted and lively) · mi pūrewa (able to float) · mi ngangahau (lighthearted and lively) · es boyante (able to float)