Meaning & use
buoys
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“buoys” is a form of “buoy”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nouncountable
Objects that float on water, usually fixed in place, to show safe routes, warn of danger, or mark a spot.
Grammar: Countable noun; the singular is buoy, and you often say a buoy marks something.
Patterns
- a buoy marks something
- a buoy floats in the water
- a line of buoys
The harbor entrance is marked by red and green buoys.
A yellow buoy warned us that the water was too shallow for the boat.
Fishermen tie their nets to buoys so they can find them again.
nouncountable
Life-saving rings or floating devices thrown to someone in the water to keep them afloat.
Grammar: Countable; usually plural in this sense because boats carry several.
Patterns
- throw someone a buoy
- grab the buoy
The lifeguard threw a buoy to the swimmer who was struggling.
Every boat should carry a buoy in case someone falls overboard.
verbtransitive
To keep something floating or stop it from sinking.
Grammar: Takes an object: the jacket buoys the swimmer. Often passive: he was buoyed by the life vest.
Patterns
- buoy something up
- be buoyed by something
The air inside the vest buoyed him until the rescue boat arrived.
The empty barrels buoyed the raft above the waves.
verbtransitivefigurative
To make someone feel happier or more confident, especially in a difficult situation.
Grammar: Takes an object and is usually passive or followed by up: the news buoyed her spirits.
Patterns
- buoy someone's spirits
- buoy someone up
- be buoyed by something
The team's support buoyed her spirits during the long recovery.
Good exam results buoyed him up after a hard term.
Word forms
| singular | buoy |
|---|---|
| plural | buoys |
| third person singular | buoys |
| past tense | buoyed |
| past participle | buoyed |
| -ing form | buoying |
Common combinations
- mark something with buoys
- The channel is marked with buoys along its whole length.
- a line of buoys
- A line of buoys showed where the swimming area ended.
- buoy someone's spirits
- Her kind words buoyed his spirits all week.
- be buoyed by something
- The market was buoyed by news of lower fuel prices.
- a warning buoy
- A warning buoy floated near the rocks.
Synonyms and how they differ
- marker
- A general word for anything that shows a position; a buoy is specifically a floating marker in water.
- float
- A float is any object that stays on the surface; a buoy is usually fixed in place and has an official purpose.
- beacon
- A beacon is often a light or signal, sometimes on land; a buoy floats and may or may not have a light.
Word family
Commonly confused: buoys or boy? buoys or buoy?
buoys vs boy
Boy sounds similar in some accents but means a male child; buoys are floating markers. The spelling buoys also looks odd because the oy sound is written ouy.
buoys vs buoy
Buoy is the singular; buoys is the plural noun or the third person singular verb.
Practice
The channel into the harbor is ______ so that ships can find the safe route.
Choose one answer.
'Is buoyed' is the passive form of the verb buoy, meaning kept afloat or marked, which fits the sentence. 'Buoys' would need a subject like 'the channel buoys ships,' and 'buoyant' is an adjective that cannot follow 'is' here with this meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “buoys”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.