buoy up

Học thuật
Thân thiện
Definition

Verb (transitive) 1. To keep afloat or support in a liquid: To prevent someone or something from sinking, especially in water. 2. To uplift or sustain emotionally or spiritually: To make someone feel more hopeful, cheerful, or confident; to support someone's spirits.

Usage and Examples
  • Literal Meaning (To keep afloat):
    • The life jacket buoyed him up until the rescue boat arrived.
    • The special device is designed to buoy up the sinking ship.
  • Figurative Meaning (To uplift spirits):
    • Her kind words buoyed up my confidence before the big presentation.
    • The team's early success buoyed them up for the rest of the difficult season.
Advanced Usage
  • "To be buoyed up by something": A common passive construction describing the state of being emotionally supported or encouraged.
    • She felt buoyed up by the overwhelming support from her friends.
    • Investors were buoyed up by the positive economic report.
Variants and Related Words
  • Buoy (verb): The base form, meaning to keep afloat or to sustain or uplift (e.g., ).
  • Buoyant (adjective): Able to float; or cheerful and optimistic (e.g., ).
  • Buoyancy (noun): The ability to float; or resilience or cheerfulness (e.g., ).
Synonyms
  • Uplift: To raise someone's spirits.
  • Sustain: To support physically or emotionally.
  • Heartened: Made to feel more cheerful or confident.
  • Encourage: To give support, confidence, or hope.
Antonyms
  • Weigh down: To make someone feel worried or depressed.
  • Depress: To make someone feel utterly dispirited or dejected.
  • Discourage: To cause someone to lose confidence or enthusiasm.
Related Phrasal Verbs
  • Cheer up: To become or make someone happier. (Less formal than ).
    • He tried to cheer her up with a funny story.
  • Lighten up: To become or make someone less serious or more cheerful.
    • You need to lighten up and not worry so much.
Verb
  1. keep afloat
    • The life vest buoyed him up
  2. make more cheerful
    • the conversation lightened me up a bit
  3. become more cheerful
    • after a glass of wine, he lightened up a bit

Từ đồng nghĩa

Từ trái nghĩa

Từ gần giống