Make Your Point > Archived Issues > BUOYANT

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connect today's word to others: If you're buoyant, you have buoyancy: your spirit is so light that it's as if you're floating, like a buoy bobbing in the water. See if you can recall this close synonym of buoyancy:  L____y is a light, floating quality, or figuratively, it's playfulness, humor, or the absence of seriousness. (Hint: l____y is the opposite of gravity.) (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "BUOYANT" Literally speaking, something buoyant can float, or it tends to rise up. So, figuratively, buoyant people and things have a light heart or a light spirit. That is, they're cheerful and lighthearted, and often hopeful. Pronunciation: BOY yunt Part of speech: Adjective. (Adjectives are describing words, like "large" or "late." They can be used in two ways: 1. Right before a noun, as in "a buoyant attitude" or "a buoyant person." 2. After a linking verb, as in "Her attitude was buoyant" or "He was buoyant.") Other common forms: buoyancy, buoyantly How to use it: This is a beautiful word with a positive tone. Enjoy it! Talk about a buoyant person, personality, outlook, statement, expression, mood, tone, joy, hope, spirit, confidence, etc. More things we can call buoyant include sales, prices, markets, and economies, as well as music, performances, and works of art and literature. examples: With her buoyant spirit and short bright hair, Kim reminds me of a hummingbird. "Consumer confidence rose in August to its highest level in nearly 18 years.... The buoyant mood is lifting spending on everything from cars to restaurant meals to clothes."    — Christopher Rugaber, Associated Press, 7 September 2018 study it now: Look away from the screen to define "buoyant" without saying "lighthearted" or "bouncing back easily to a state of happiness." try it out: Fill in the blank: "_____ always puts me in a buoyant mood." Example: "Organizing things, especially closets and pantries, always puts me in a buoyant mood." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Complete the Limerick! In each issue this month, finish off the last line of the poem with a word or phrase we've checked out before. From the previous issue: She’d travel as far as Morocco To get just the right avocado. She serves guacamole As if it were holy: A true guac aficionado. Try this one today: Try to read this metaphorically. Try to read this allegorically. But there’s nothing subtle, And a rebuttal’ll Fail to convince, _____________. review today's word: 1. A close opposite of BUOYANT is A. LIQUID. B. CONCEIVABLE. C. DOWNHEARTED. 2. On _____, her natural buoyancy _____. A. holidays .. bubbles over into effervescence B. dark winter days .. worsens into a deeper sadness C. crisp autumn days .. finally lifts as she savors the trees' beauty Answers are below. a final word: Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From Liesl's blog:    36 ways to study words.    Why we forget words, & how to remember them.    How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. C 2. A