buoy

1 of 2

noun

ˈbü-ē  ˈbȯi 

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

: life 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 industry …

—Time

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

Noun

Careful to avoid the sharp oyster shells below and razor-like edges of barnacles on the dock pylons all around, Leven got the buoy to Von Herbulis. — Natasha Holt, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026

The first is observations, which include measurements of rainfall, near-surface temperature, wind speed and other weather variables collected from weather stations, radars, buoys and satellites. — Chanh Kieu, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026

Verb

The Bulls dug too deep of a deficit in the first quarter to overcome, but their insistence on pursuing second-chance opportunities buoyed an outmatched roster to win the second half, accounting for 25 of the team’s point total. — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026

Heading into Thursday’s earnings report, Intel shares were up about 150% this year, buoyed by demand for central processors, which are becoming critical to agentic AI workloads. — Katie Tarasov,arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2026

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

Phrases Containing buoy

• bell buoy
• breeches buoy
• life buoy

Rhymes for buoy

• chewy
• dewy
• gooey
• cestui
• ennui

Kids Definition

buoy

1 of 2 noun

ˈbü-ē  ˈbȯi 

1

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

2

: life buoy

buoy

2 of 2 verb

1

: to keep from sinking : keep afloat

2

: to brighten the mood of

the news buoyed him up