buoy

1 of 2

noun

ˈbü-ē  ˈbȯi 

1

: float sense 2

especially, nautical : a floating object moored to the bottom to mark a channel or something (such as a shoal) lying under the water

swam out toward the buoy

2

: life buoy

Illustration of buoy

• buoy 1

buoy

2 of 2

verb

buoyed; buoying; buoys

transitive verb

1

: to mark by or as if by a float or buoy

buoy an anchor

2

a

: to keep afloat

a raft buoyed by empty oil drums

b

: support, uplift

an economy buoyed by the dramatic postwar growth of industry

—Time

3

: to raise the spirits of

—usually used with up

hope buoys him up

intransitive verb

: float

—usually used with up

They buoyed up like a cork.

Examples of buoy in a Sentence

Verb

The tax breaks should help to buoy the economy.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Instead, buoys bob on the surface while, seven feet below, long lines of kelp stretch through the frigid Atlantic waters. —Heide Brandes, thehustle.co, 24 Jan. 2025

In the future, Watch Duty hopes to explore the use of other types of data, such as river gauges, tsunami buoys and earthquakes. —Wendy Lee, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2025

Verb

The Chinese company's tech is raising questions about whether demand for Nvidia's chips could take a hit, as well as whether investors are overvaluing tech stocks that have been buoyed by the promise of AI, from Meta to Microsoft, experts said. —Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2025

Andrews’ spirit has also been buoyed thanks to a seemingly unlikely source — Bills Mafia. —Anna Lazarus Caplan, People.com, 24 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English boye, probably from Middle Dutch boeye; akin to Old High German bouhhan sign — more at beacon

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1596, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing buoy

• bell buoy
• breeches buoy
• life buoy

Kids Definition

buoy

1 of 2 noun

ˈbü-ē  ˈbȯi 

1

: a floating object anchored in a body of water to mark a channel or warn of danger

2

: life buoy

buoy

2 of 2 verb

1

: to keep from sinking : keep afloat

2

: to brighten the mood of

the news buoyed him up