Afloat Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary (2024)

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Afloat Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary? ›

Britannica Dictionary definition of AFLOAT. not used before a noun. 1. : floating on water. Our boat remained/stayed afloat through the storm.

: being at sea. 2. : free of difficulties : self-sufficient. the inheritance kept them afloat for years.

If a person, business, or country stays afloat or is kept afloat, they have just enough money to pay their debts and continue operating. [business] A number of efforts were being made to keep the company afloat.

Today's English expression is to “stay afloat.” This has one very specific use. We use “stay afloat” when we're talking about a business struggling to survive, or a person is struggling to keep their finances in order . “Afloat” simply means, floating in the water, staying above the surface of the water.

to have sufficient funds to be able to pay your debts and continue as a business. holde flytende. He is just about managing to keep the company afloat.

Meaning of keep afloat in English

to be able to stay at the surface of water rather than going under the water: You can keep afloat for longer if you lie on your back. She was treading water to keep afloat. Fewer examples. He kept afloat with an upside-down bucket that had captured air.

riding upon the surface of a body of liquid the boat can't stay afloat much longer. floating. sailing. drifting. hovering.

If something's afloat, it's drifting on the water. When you sail toy boats, you set them afloat across a pond or lake. You can set something afloat, like an inner tube in a pool or a leaf on a stream, or you can struggle to stay afloat, as when the passengers of a capsized boat try to keep their heads above water.

Denoting goods, especially commodities, that are on a ship from their port of origin to a specified port of destination; for example, “afloat Rotterdam” means the goods are on their way to Rotterdam.

To rest or hover on the surface of a liquid or in the air. float. hang. hover.

How do humans stay afloat? ›

Density is a measure of how much mass is packed into a given volume. If an object is less dense than water, it will float because the buoyant force exceeds the gravitational force pulling it downward. Turns out, the human body, which is about 60% water, floats because it is slightly less dense than water.

With lungs full of air, your body will float like its weightless. Holding your breath will help you stay afloat, but when you need to breathe, your body will go down. So, you need to keep breathing normally and notice how your body sinks when you exhale and floats when you inhale.

In calm water, float horizontally on the surface with your knees raised to your chest. If the sea conditions are rough, float vertically and focus on not inhaling water. Moving around will disperse the air trapped in your clothing and shoes, making you less buoyant and dispersing heat, so stay as still as you can.

To "float an idea" is to make an unusual suggestion and see how people react.

safely afloat means that the Vessel shall at all times be water-borne in compliance with the port clearance requirements of the Vessel nominating party (including but not limited to underkeel clearance) and shall be able to remain at the Berth, without risk of loss or danger from wind, weather or other craft which are ...

stay afloat He managed to stay afloat by holding on to the side of the boat. She spent seven days afloat on a raft. having enough money to pay what you owe: keep afloat The business had to sell off some of its assets to keep afloat.

Someone with a buoyant personality is fun to be around, laughs a lot, smiles, and cheers other people up. Buoyant people are lively and lighthearted — the opposite of sad, depressed, and bummed out.

a person or thing that floats. Informal. a person who is continually changing their place of residence, employment, etc. an employee without a fixed job assignment: One of our officers works as a floater, filling in when someone is out.

: cheerful, gay. in a buoyant mood. c. : capable of maintaining a satisfactorily high level.