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

What isn’t vintage is mostly custom designed by Levin—a wall-to-wall couch with conversation pit vibes, a wooden bed with an attached bench, a thoughtful floating console that hides a TV. — Leonora Epstein, Architectural Digest, 14 Oct. 2026 Containers were floating in the water after the vessel sank, Pakistani maritime authorities warned in a navigational alert. — Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for floating

Recent Examples of Synonyms for floating

Adjective

Unlike previous Ship splashdowns, though, which have exploded after tipping over into the water, Ship 40 remained largely intact and afloat.

— Josh Dinner, Space.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Such outlets depended heavily on taxpayer funding, which fed into state advertising and government communication campaigns, and have now lost the support that kept them afloat.

— Dominique Soguel, Christian Science Monitor, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of afloat

Verb

At the event, Musk and his team showcased a white sports car that raced up a curved ramp, then clung to it upside down and vaulted off it, flipping in mid-air and hovering slowly before landing on the ground.

— Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026
The price of Brent crude, the international standard for oil, was hovering around $105 on Wednesday, up from $98 on the last day of September.

— Mark Osborne, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of hovering

Verb

The update comes on the heels of security footage from Clarkson’s visit to the store being released, showing Clarkson wandering the store for about five minutes, including a rather brief interaction with a shop employee.

— James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
As the song played, people from neighboring studios, including hip-hop producers and other musicians, began wandering in.

— Alex Distefano, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of wandering

Verb

The unfortunate crew of the doomed vessel were likely sailing to the west when disaster struck, the researchers wrote in a study about the wreck that was published earlier this year.

— Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2026
The fourth ship was identified as the Al Saadiyat, sailing under the Marshall Islands flag.

— Mark Osborne, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of sailing

Verb

It’s estimated about 25% of the sunscreen people apply to their skin washes off while swimming or wading in the ocean.

— Matthew Perrone, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
For twenty years, McCarthy has been swimming against the current, writing novels that reflect, with unusual intensity, his disdain for the conventional underpinnings of literary fiction.

— Max Callimanopulos, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of swimming

Verb

Plush toys have long served as soft zero-g indicators for spaceflight missions, drifting freely to signal the instant a spacecraft enters weightlessness.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026
Stewart complained about the chain’s merchandising and quality control, and Kmart was drifting toward financial trouble.

— Fernanda Tronco, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of drifting

Verb

If Mick hadn’t come cruising into that playground, lights off?

— George Saunders, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
The Arlington Heights Yellowjackets continued their dominant season Friday, cruising to a dominant 71-0 victory over the North Side Steers and extending their unbeaten record.

— Aliza Acuna, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of cruising

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Style

“Floating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/floating. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of floating

adjective

verb

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