Meaning & use
float
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Meanings
verbintransitive
To stay on the surface of a liquid or hang in the air without sinking or falling.
Grammar: No object needed; often followed by on, in, or through: The leaf floated on the pond.
Patterns
- float on something
- float in something
- float through something
A yellow leaf floated on the pond.
The balloon floated up into the sky.
Dust floated in the sunlight.
verbtransitive
To make something rest on a liquid or move gently through air or water.
Grammar: Takes an object: float a boat, float a toy.
Patterns
- float something on something
- float something across something
The children floated their paper boats on the stream.
He floated a small raft across the pool.
She floated a candle in a bowl of water.
verbtransitivebusinessfigurative
To suggest an idea or plan in a tentative way to see how people react.
Grammar: Takes an object, often idea or plan: float an idea.
Patterns
- float an idea
- float a plan
- float a proposal
The manager floated the idea of flexible hours.
They floated a plan to cut costs at the meeting.
He floated a proposal to see if anyone objected.
nouncountable
A light object that stays on water, often used for fishing or swimming.
Grammar: Countable: a float, the floats.
Patterns
- a float
- the float on something
The float bobbed on the water, then dipped.
He tied a float to the fishing line.
The children held onto a float in the pool.
nouncountable
A large vehicle decorated for a parade, or a platform on wheels used in processions.
Grammar: Countable: a parade float, the floats.
Patterns
- a parade float
- ride on a float
The parade float was covered in flowers.
She waved from the float as it passed.
They built a float for the town festival.
nouncountablebusiness
A small amount of money kept available for making change or paying small expenses.
Grammar: Often singular: a float, the float; can be countable or uncountable in business contexts.
Patterns
- a float of money
- keep a float
The cashier started the day with a float of $100.
We need a float to cover small purchases.
The float was kept in the till.
Word forms
| third person singular | floats |
|---|---|
| past tense | floated |
| past participle | floated |
| -ing form | floating |
| plural | floats |
Common combinations
- float on water
- Oil floats on water.
- float an idea
- She floated an idea for a new website.
- float through the air
- The feathers floated through the air.
- float a loan
- The company floated a loan to expand.
- float in the pool
- We floated in the pool for an hour.
Synonyms and how they differ
- drift
- Drift means to be carried slowly by water or air, often without control; float suggests staying on the surface or hanging in place.
- hover
- Hover means to stay in one place in the air; float can also mean moving gently through air or water.
- suggest
- Suggest is the general word for offering an idea; float is more tentative, testing reactions.
Opposites
Word family
- floating adjective
- Not fixed or settled; e.g., a floating population.
- floaty adjective
- Light and airy, often describing fabric or a feeling.
- floatation noun
- The act of floating, or a business term for launching a company on the stock market.
Commonly confused: float or flout?
float vs flout
Flout means to openly disobey a rule; float is about resting on liquid or air.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
Float is intransitive here, so it needs a preposition like on before the place: floated on the lake. The other options use the wrong preposition or no preposition.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “float”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.