FLOATING Synonyms: 61 Similar and Opposite Words

floating 1 of 2

adjective

ˈflō-tiŋ

Definition of floating

as in afloat

riding upon the surface of a body of liquid the wreckage remained floating for hours

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

floating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of float

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

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

Lately, people aboard floating refueling stations said to be supporting drug trafficking have been removed and transferred to Ecuadorean authorities. — Matthew Lee, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026 Within just nine months of launch, Bluecore Energy has rapidly accelerated its path toward floating nuclear power by securing a port terminal, receiving its first barge, and starting construction on a test reactor. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for floating

Recent Examples of Synonyms for floating

Adjective

Though now, the campus is shifting more digital to stay financially afloat and keep up with a changing educational landscape.

— Lacey Beasley, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
At one point, Georgia O’Keeffe had to convince her own dealer, Edith Herbert, to buy some of Kusama’s work to keep her afloat.

— Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of afloat

Verb

But mostly, Clancy has remained silent and wide-eyed, her gaze wandering around the courtroom as though searching for something.

— Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026
With Ernst Reijseger’s wonderfully varied score keeping pace, through folk fiddle and classical cello and stretches of wondering, wandering piano, there just have to be touches of fairytale and a dose of Looney Tunes.

— Jessica Kiang, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of wandering

Verb

The 91-meter (298-foot) Alsu is an oil or chemical tanker sailing from Kocaeli, east of Istanbul, to Aliaga on the Aegean coast, according to the Marine Traffic website.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026
The tanker was sailing in the southern shipping lane close to the Omani coast, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said in a post on Tuesday, Asia time.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of sailing

Verb

Colorado officials report twice as many bear sightings and conflicts with humans this year compared with the average, including bears roaming where they aren't normally found.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026
But for some odd reason, cats just are not viewed in the same way, especially free-roaming cats.

— Adam Tschorn, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of roaming

Verb

Winter also brings memorable encounters with whales across Australia, including swimming with dwarf minke whales along the Great Barrier Reef from June through July and spotting migrating humpbacks along the east coast from May through October.

— Stuart Rigg, Travel + Leisure, 4 Sep. 2026
Grace said her family frequently went swimming together and that Malachi, the youngest of four children, particularly loved the water.

— Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of swimming

Verb

The passage of play (below) lasted about 40 seconds from the moment Arsenal’s No 7 started drifting across the pitch, repeatedly calling for the ball to be played left.

— Art de Roché, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
But sometimes, inaccurate coordinates or a drifting boat make the search trickier.

— Evgenia Anastasakos, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of drifting

Verb

Miami took control of the game from its first offensive drive and never looked back, subbing in the backups by the end of the third quarter and cruising to its first win of the season.

— Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 5 Sep. 2026
However, Scholes noted parts of the industry, such as river cruising, aren’t feeling those same impacts.

— Nathan Diller, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of cruising

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Style

“Floating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/floating. Accessed 11 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of floating

adjective

verb

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