afloat
Bobbing on waves
Afloat means floating on water rather than sunk: The ship stayed afloat through the storm.
By extension, it describes staying solvent or viable: The business barely stayed afloat during the recession.
Rumors or ideas that are afloat are circulating: There's a rumor afloat that the company is being sold.
Fluid's upward resistance
- bobbingRhythmic vertical movement
- driftingMoving without purpose
- swimmingLocomotion through water
- treadingWalking on a surface
buoyed · waterborne · surfaced · unsinkable · cork · raft · pontoon · lifejacket
Seagoing transport vessel
- vesselReceptacle for contents
- sailboatWind-propelled watercraft
- yachtLarge pleasure vessel
- boatWatercraft for travel
seaworthy · seafaring · maritime · nautical · sailing · anchored · moored · harbor
Floating without control
- aimlessHaving no direction
- unmooredReleased from anchorage
- unanchoredNot fastened down
- untetheredNot fastened to anything
wandering · directionless · rudderless · meandering · roaming · listless · purposeless · cast off
Capable of succeeding
- solventDissolving liquid or financially stable
- liquidFree-flowing substance
- sustainableAble to endure long-term
- operationalReady to function
surviving · functioning · profitable · creditworthy · manageable · above water · debt-free · breaking even
Unconfirmed circulating story
- gossipInformal talk spreading rumors
- spreadingExtending over space
- circulatingMoving in a circuit
- buzzingLow vibrating hum
whispered · talked about · in the air · going around · murmured · bandied · current · rife
buoyancy
Fluid's upward resistance
treading · buoyed · waterborne · surfaced · unsinkable · cork · raft · pontoon · lifejacket · lifebuoy
ship
Seagoing transport vessel
boat · seaworthy · seafaring · maritime · nautical · sailing · anchored · moored · harbor · deck
adrift
Floating without control
- aimlessHaving no direction
- unmooredReleased from anchorage
- unanchoredNot fastened down
untethered · wandering · directionless · rudderless · meandering · roaming · listless · purposeless · cast off · loose
viable
Capable of succeeding
- solventDissolving liquid or financially stable
- liquidFree-flowing substance
- sustainableAble to endure long-term
operational · surviving · functioning · profitable · creditworthy · manageable · above water · debt-free · breaking even · in business
rumor
Unconfirmed circulating story
- gossipInformal talk spreading rumors
- spreadingExtending over space
- circulatingMoving in a circuit
buzzing · whispered · talked about · in the air · going around · murmured · bandied · current · rife · abuzz
- buoyancybuoyancy, sink, sinking, upthrust, neutral buoyancy
- buoyancy statessinking, submerged, neutral buoyancy, rising, descending
- business termsfranchising, revenue stream, board meeting, gross margin, markdown
- nautical termsahoy, aye aye, aye-aye, becalmed, anchor
- Floatinghover, hovering, drift, drifting, levitate
- financially afloatsolvent, debt-free, in the black, breaking even, creditworthy