buoyant

adjective

buoy·​ant ˈbȯi-ənt 

ˈbü-yənt

: having buoyancy

Warm air is more buoyant than cool air.

: such as

a

: capable of floating

Cork is naturally buoyant.

b

: cheerful, gay

in a buoyant mood

c

: capable of maintaining a satisfactorily high level

a buoyant economy

buoyantly adverb

Synonyms of buoyant

• cheerful
• optimistic
• bright

Examples of buoyant in a Sentence

Warm air is more buoyant than cool air.

The actors were buoyant as they prepared for the evening's performance.

Recent Examples on the Web

In the first installment, most of the kids are buoyant, unaware, their eyes glittering with naïveté. — Lauren Jackson, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026

At Christie’s on Tuesday night, the underbidding activity was buoyant for many European Old Masters and established contemporary Asian artists, from Peter Paul Rubens to Liu Ye, now in his 60s. — Hok-Hang Cheung, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026

The stock market remains buoyant; the labor market is robust; most financial conditions indicators continue to show little restraint, either in lending or borrowing. — Steve Liesman,matt Peterson, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026

During testing, the structure remained buoyant even after cracks developed, connection points fractured, and an entire lattice layer broke apart. — New Atlas, 20 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see buoy entry 1

First Known Use

1578, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for buoyant

• clairvoyant
• flamboyant

Kids Definition

buoyant

adjective

buoy·​ant ˈbȯi-ənt 

ˈbü-yənt

1

: having buoyancy

especially : capable of floating

2

: being in a happy mood : cheerful

buoyantly adverb