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
The house is made up of a series of low-slung pavilions beneath a floating butterfly roof, with stone, glass, and steel used throughout. — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 29 Sep. 2026 An ice shelf, 400 miles wide, splits off from the glacier and starts floating toward Europe. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 29 Sep. 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
  • 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
  • There are no grand revelations here, just cups of tea, glasses of wine, difficult clients, bad jokes, old songs, and the small acts through which people keep one another afloat.
    — Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of afloat
Verb
  • The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art’s central plaza, which spreads out beneath the building’s curved, hovering form, was always meant to be a generous civic space.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Clear blue skies are hovering over the Pharmalot campus, where a cool breeze is wafting by and the official mascots are bounding about the grounds in search of critters.
    — Ed Silverman, STAT, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of hovering
Verb
  • New research suggests that this adage may be true for wandering black holes too.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 29 Sep. 2026
  • In mid-July, one of her cubs became separated from the family for several days, wandering the river corridor alone.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of wandering
Verb
  • More cruise ships like Oceania Marina and Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot are sailing to remote destinations like Sisimiut, Narsaq, and Disko Island.
    — CNT Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Mandel took the sentiment a step further, comparing Cowell’s absence to sailing without the person normally steering the ship.
    — Alicia Urrea, Billboard, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of sailing
Verb
  • Aerial footage from Sky News appeared to show a bomb disposal robot roaming between three white trucks.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Aerial footage from Sky News appeared to show a bomb disposal robot roaming among three white vans.
    — Pan Pylas, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of roaming
Verb
  • More energetic outdoor activities include swimming in the saltwater pool, walking or jogging on the Deck 15 track, paddle tennis, golf cages, and a mini-golf course.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Two-foot-long cutthroat trout swimming en masse up rivers for only a few weeks each year, turns out, are a siren’s song for anglers from around the world.
    — Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of swimming
Verb
  • The nor'easter is weakening and drifting on Monday slowly northeast from Long Island, New York, to Massachusetts, into the Gulf of Maine by Tuesday.
    — Kenton Gewecke, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Leaders should notice who is drifting to the edges, hold check-ins that go beyond tasks, design meetings so that every voice can be heard and create purposeful opportunities for people to work and reflect together.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of drifting
Verb
  • 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
  • After a dismal outing on Sunday, the Indiana Fever got their spark back on Tuesday, cruising to a 96–77 win over the league-best Minnesota Lynx in their final game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse of the regular season.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of cruising

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floated
floating
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Cite this Entry

“Floating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/floating. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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