floating 1 of 2

adjective

ˈflō-tiŋ How to pronounce floating (audio)
Definition of floatingnext
as in afloat
riding upon the surface of a body of liquid the wreckage remained floating for hours

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

floating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of float
1
as in hovering
to rest or move along the surface of a liquid or in the air a canoe floating down the river particles of dust floating in the air

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wandering
to move about from place to place aimlessly lost touch with a childhood friend who spent much of his adult life floating from place to place

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of floating
Adjective
Social media posts and years of reviewing cookie-cutter luxury hotels had conditioned me to equate floating breakfasts, monogrammed accessories, butler service, and aromatherapy menus as markers of a dreamy luxury vacation. — Katherine Alex Beaven, Travel + Leisure, 22 Oct. 2024 The boat, a single motorboat, was found floating and half-submerged near the Harbor One Marina. — Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 3 Sep. 2024
Verb
What isn’t vintage is mostly custom designed by Levin—a wall-to-wall couch with conversation pit vibes, a wooden bed with an attached bench, a thoughtful floating console that hides a TV. — Leonora Epstein, Architectural Digest, 14 Oct. 2026 Containers were floating in the water after the vessel sank, Pakistani maritime authorities warned in a navigational alert. — Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for floating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for floating
  1. afloat
  2. hovering
  3. wandering
  4. sailing
  5. roaming
  6. swimming
  7. drifting
  8. cruising
Adjective
  • The guest lectures, speaking engagements, and board memberships have all dried up, and Housewives is pretty much the only thing keeping her afloat.
    — Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Through a long winter, more young players will be forced to sell off pieces of their future just to stay afloat.
    — Chris Koras, Sportico.com, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of afloat
Verb
  • At the event, Musk and his team showcased a white sports car that raced up a curved ramp, then clung to it upside down and vaulted off it, flipping in mid-air and hovering slowly before landing on the ground.
    — Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The price of Brent crude, the international standard for oil, was hovering around $105 on Wednesday, up from $98 on the last day of September.
    — Mark Osborne, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of hovering
Verb
  • The update comes on the heels of security footage from Clarkson’s visit to the store being released, showing Clarkson wandering the store for about five minutes, including a rather brief interaction with a shop employee.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
  • As the song played, people from neighboring studios, including hip-hop producers and other musicians, began wandering in.
    — Alex Distefano, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of wandering
Verb
  • The cargo ship Able was carrying wheat and sailing south when the drones attacked, while the Alfa Watan was heading north with the cargo being unknown.
    — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The ship’s April transatlantic cruise starts in Port Canaveral before sailing to Bermuda, the Azores, Portugal, and England.
    — Megan duBois, Southern Living, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of sailing
Verb
  • More than 180,000 giant tortoises roaming freely on our atoll is proof of what long-term commitment to conservation can achieve.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The mustang had been roaming near Liberty Reservoir after he was spooked by a lawnmower and jumped over a fence at the end of June.
    — CBS Baltimore, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of roaming
Verb
  • The Accents Perhaps even more than the gigantic thing swimming in the ocean eating people, the thick Newfoundland accents are Below’s standout feature.
    — Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Forecasters also expect strong rip currents and dangerous waves, which increase the risk of drowning for people swimming at the beach.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of swimming
Verb
  • Plush toys have long served as soft zero-g indicators for spaceflight missions, drifting freely to signal the instant a spacecraft enters weightlessness.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Stewart complained about the chain’s merchandising and quality control, and Kmart was drifting toward financial trouble.
    — Fernanda Tronco, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of drifting
Verb
  • Southwest accomplished its goal emphatically, cruising to a 56-14 victory over Dunbar Friday at Clark Stadium.
    — Shiloh Robinson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The British yard, which revealed its first catamaran at the Cannes Yachting Festival in early September, today unveiled a new flagship sailing superyacht that combines elegant design and meticulous craftsmanship with bluewater cruising capability.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of cruising

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Cite this Entry

“Floating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/floating. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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