buoy

1 of 2

noun

1
: float sense 2
especially, nautical : a floating object moored to the bottom to mark a channel or something (such as a shoal) lying under the water
swam out toward the buoy
2

Illustration of buoy

Illustration of buoy
  • buoy 1

buoy

2 of 2

verb

buoyed; buoying; buoys

transitive verb

1
: to mark by or as if by a float or buoy
buoy an anchor
2
a
: to keep afloat
a raft buoyed by empty oil drums
b
: support, uplift
an economy buoyed by the dramatic postwar growth of industryTime
3
: to raise the spirits of
usually used with up
hope buoys him up

intransitive verb

: float
usually used with up
They buoyed up like a cork.

Examples of buoy in a Sentence

Verb The tax breaks should help to buoy the economy.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory is working on the next generation of offshore buoys. Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 24 June 2025 At noon Saturday, the wind blew at just 7 mph, with gusts of 11 mph, at one buoy near the center of Lake Tahoe. Ethan Wolin, Sacbee.com, 24 June 2025
Verb
But the real tragedy of leaving Coors Field behind is that his batting average is no longer buoyed by altitude. Eno Sarris, New York Times, 20 June 2025 Port operator International Container Terminal Services, controlled by billionaire Enrique Razon Jr., made its debut at No. 1,702, buoyed by a 15% uptick in sales to $2.9 billion and a 54% jump in net profit to $830 million. Zinnia Lee, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for buoy

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English boye, probably from Middle Dutch boeye; akin to Old High German bouhhan sign — more at beacon

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1596, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of buoy was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Buoy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buoy. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

buoy

1 of 2 noun
1
: a floating object anchored in a body of water to mark a channel or warn of danger
2

buoy

2 of 2 verb
1
: to keep from sinking : keep afloat
2
: to brighten the mood of
the news buoyed him up

More from Merriam-Webster on buoy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!