FLOATING Synonyms: 61 Similar and Opposite Words

floating 1 of 2

adjective

ˈflō-tiŋ

Definition of floating

as in afloat

riding upon the surface of a body of liquid the wreckage remained floating for hours

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

floating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of float

as in hovering

to rest or move along the surface of a liquid or in the air a canoe floating down the river particles of dust floating in the air

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in wandering

to move about from place to place aimlessly lost touch with a childhood friend who spent much of his adult life floating from place to place

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of floating

Adjective

Social media posts and years of reviewing cookie-cutter luxury hotels had conditioned me to equate floating breakfasts, monogrammed accessories, butler service, and aromatherapy menus as markers of a dreamy luxury vacation. — Katherine Alex Beaven, Travel + Leisure, 22 Oct. 2024 The boat, a single motorboat, was found floating and half-submerged near the Harbor One Marina. — Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 3 Sep. 2024

Verb

The vessel had been floating in the Atlantic Ocean for 27 days before survivors were rescued. — Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026 Michael and Joe Smith have more here on the Hughes situation and how Makar’s massive deal is likely to affect things — and those trade rumors floating around. — James Mirtle, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for floating

Recent Examples of Synonyms for floating

Adjective

Though now, the campus is shifting more digital to stay financially afloat and keep up with a changing educational landscape.

— Lacey Beasley, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
At one point, Georgia O’Keeffe had to convince her own dealer, Edith Herbert, to buy some of Kusama’s work to keep her afloat.

— Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of afloat

Verb

The new system allows the drone to release supplies while hovering, drop payloads during forward flight, or land and unload cargo autonomously, eliminating the need for personnel or dedicated equipment at the receiving site.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026
In March, for example, Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, which houses long-range B-52 bombers, went into lockdown after numerous unauthorized drones were spotted hovering over sensitive areas of the base.

— Seth G. Jones, Foreign Affairs, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of hovering

Verb

The announcement comes after video circulated online of Knight at recent performances, including a July 25 gig at the Hollywood Bowl, wandering around the stage, turning her back to the audience, and not singing on cue.

— Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2026
But more recently, cell phone videos taken by audience members at Knight performances, including one from a July 25 Hollywood Bowl concert, show the singer wandering the stage, her back to the audience and seeming to miss singing cues.

— Greg Evans, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of wandering

Verb

The tanker was sailing in the southern shipping lane close to the Omani coast, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said in a post on Tuesday, Asia time.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
Yet the language, always extraordinarily resilient, is again sailing toward new horizons in the 21st century.

— Ilan Stavans, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of sailing

Verb

The playable character models and even roaming NPCs feature incredible outfit details.

— Gabriel Zamora, PC Magazine, 29 Aug. 2026
Despite his tech background, Brittin ditched the Q&A function on the festival’s app in favor of roaming microphones in the audience, giving him a chance to speak directly with his interrogators.

— K.J. Yossman, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of roaming

Verb

Recently, a local fisherman captured a video of dolphins swimming in the Long Island Sound off the coast of Westbrook that was shared all over social media.

— Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026
Whether burrowing through soil or swimming through water, they’re forced to maneuver through narrow gaps in tiny pores, rocks, roots, plants or other obstacles.

— K. R. Prathyusha, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of swimming

Verb

For some, drifting along on a tube is the ultimate way to soak up the scenery.

— Gabi De la Rosa, Travel + Leisure, 31 Aug. 2026
Closer to home, Roman will monitor small variations in light from stars near the center of the Milky Way galaxy in order to infer the presence of rogue planets drifting between the stars.

— Don Figer, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of drifting

Verb

That’s how dramatically the economics of superyacht construction has changed since Whisper first began cruising in 2014.

— Dea Jusufi, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
The Fort Worth Eastern Hills Highlanders opened the season in commanding fashion Friday night, cruising to a 62-0 victory over the Polytechnic Parrots at Clark Stadium.

— Raul Avila, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of cruising

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floated

floating

floats

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Style

“Floating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/floating. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of floating

adjective

verb

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