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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

Despite these limitations, there is promise in these floating amoebas. — Sam Lubell, Curbed, 21 Sep. 2026 The property also has a private landing stage, from which canal tours and even floating dinners can be arranged. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for floating

Recent Examples of Synonyms for floating

Adjective

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
Recovery and transformation As small businesses in the area fought to stay afloat, an injection of federal cash helped the effort.

— Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of afloat

Verb

With the 10-year treasury yield hovering around 5% and bond prices falling, investors who bought bond mutual funds or ETFs when yields were lower may be sitting on unrealized losses within their portfolio.

— Cheryl Winokur Munk, CNBC, 23 Sep. 2026
Yes, the Whitney will have a gigantic 32-foot-by-25 1⁄2-foot Lichtenstein–by–Da Corte hovering over the Meatpacking District.

— Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of hovering

Verb

The half-day Istanbul tour was amazing, with a visit to Zeyrek Mosque, exploring the Basilica Cistern, and wandering the Spice Market, alive with the most fragrant foodstuffs.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026
More hours won’t help if your attention has started wandering and your patience is gone.

— Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of wandering

Verb

After sailing about half an hour, Choi’s navy yard utility boat slowed and hovered – never fully stopping as the water was far deeper than the length of the anchor.

— Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026
The Costa Cruises vessel was reportedly sailing from Naples to Sicily when the brawl erupted at sea.

— Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of sailing

Verb

Earlier this month, a mountain lion was seen roaming around in the city's Panhandle neighborhood just east of Golden Gate Park.

— Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026
The Inian Islands, for starters, are one of the most biologically rich places on Earth, with Steller sea lions and bald eagles roaming about.

— Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of roaming

Verb

The bay facing the western shore of Newfoundland is the mouth—the gaping estuary—of the Saint Lawrence, Newfoundland on the chart detached and apparently drifting out to sea.

— Paul Theroux, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
By contrast, heart rate barely moved during the control trial, drifting from 85 to 80 bpm.

— Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of drifting

Verb

In 2023, Newsom signed legislation removing California’s restrictions on cruising and stripping local governments of the ability to enact bans based on repeatedly driving through an area.

— ABC News, ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026
Though the culture never disappeared since the heyday of cruising in the 1980s and 1990s, interest in lowriding has surged in recent years.

— Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 17 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 26 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of floating

adjective

verb

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