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

Dough should be very smooth and slightly tacky with a soft, buoyant texture. — Claire Saffitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Aug. 2026

Americans benefited from a robust labor market, a buoyant stock market, bigger tax refunds and savings, said Kathy Bostjancic, chief economist at Nationwide, said in commentary issued Thursday. — Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 30 July 2026

Their executives are even, at times, buoyant, and thinking more inventively. — David Folkenflik, NPR, 26 July 2026

The buoyant Starship looked to be in fine shape after reaching the Indian Ocean. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 25 July 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