Meaning & use
buoy
A floating marker anchored in water to guide ships or warn of hazards.
See it in a sentence
The sailors steered carefully between two red buoys marking the channel.
A bright orange buoy bobbed near the rocks to warn swimmers away.
A note on using this word
As a verb, to buoy someone means to keep their spirits or hopes lifted, not literally to float.
Words with a similar meaning
This term is best learned through its definition and examples.
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Another way to use it
2. verb
To keep someone's spirits, confidence, or hopes raised during a difficult time.
News of the successful rescue buoyed the exhausted search team's spirits.
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