buoyant

[boi-uh nt, boo-yuh nt] /ˈbɔɪ ənt, ˈbu yənt/
adjective
1.
tending to float in a fluid.
2.
capable of keeping a body afloat, as a liquid.
3.
not easily depressed; cheerful.
4.
cheering or invigorating.
Origin
1570-80; buoy + -ant
Related forms
buoyantly, adverb
nonbuoyant, adjective
nonbuoyantly, adverb
unbuoyant, adjective
unbuoyantly, adverb
Synonyms
3. happy, lighthearted, breezy, jaunty, sunny.
Examples from the web for buoyant
  • But continental crust is too light and buoyant to be subducted.
  • The heady economy, buoyant stock market and high-tech boom have created a surge in sudden wealth.
  • I've found that every time I've made a radical change, it's helped me feel buoyant as an artist.
  • The hot air is buoyant, so it quickly rises and expands.
  • While a traditional airship is constantly buoyant, the Dynalifter uses lift from both helium and a short trip down the runway.
  • He was still feeling buoyant and had put on a white shirt with his khakis; he was just in the mood, he told his wife.
  • The sun heats the surface, which produces plumes of buoyant rising air.
  • Before a dive, ballast on Deepstar is adjusted so that it is neutrally buoyant.
  • These irregularities make some parcels of air buoyant, which results in the transport of pollutants throughout the atmosphere.
  • As the air warms, it becomes lighter and more buoyant which tends to slow its downward motion.
British Dictionary definitions for buoyant

buoyant

/ˈbɔɪənt/
adjective
1.
able to float in or rise to the surface of a liquid
2.
(of a liquid or gas) able to keep a body afloat or cause it to rise
3.
cheerful or resilient
Word Origin
C16: probably from Spanish boyante, from boyar to float, from boya buoy, ultimately of Germanic origin
Word Origin and History for buoyant
adj.

1570s, perhaps from Spanish boyante, present participle of boyar "to float," from boya "buoy," from Dutch boei (see buoy (n.)). Of personalities, etc., from c.1748. Related: Buoyantly.