buoying

Lifting spirits up

Buoying is the present participle of buoy, meaning to keep afloat or lift up.

Literally, buoys mark channels and hazards in water.

Figuratively, to buoy someone is to raise their spirits or sustain them through difficulty: Her encouragement buoyed him through the job search.

Buoying up suggests support against forces that would drag something down.

floating

bobbing

Rhythmic vertical movement

driftingMoving without purpose
afloatSupported by water
treadingWalking on a surface

surface · waterborne · inflatable · lifejacket · pontoon · raft · waterwings · airbed · cork · flotsam

emotional

uplifting

Emotionally encouraging

encouragingGiving confidence or hope
hearteningInspiring confidence or cheer
cheeringVocal encouragement given

inspiring · reassuring · comforting · bolstering · spirits · morale · hope · optimism · confidence · resilience

support

propping

Supporting with aid

sustainingMaintaining over time
shoringTemporary structural support
reinforcingMaking more robust

underpinning · stabilizing · buttressing · holding · maintaining · keeping · bracing · securing · steadying · anchoring

nautical

mooring

Vessel's secured resting place

anchorSecures ships to seabed
hullOuter covering or frame
keelHull's structural base

vessel · yacht · dinghy · sailing · maritime · seafaring · harbor · marina · tide · ballast

Opposites

emotional support

buoyingdisheartening

Causing loss of hope

discouraging · deflating · demoralizing · dispiriting · depressing

physical force/flotation

buoyingsinking

Falling through water

weighing down · submerging · pulling down · drowning · pushing down

sustaining/maintaining

buoyingundermining

Weakening by covert means

weakening · eroding · destabilizing · sapping · sabotaging

Phrases

buoying upMaking something float

Family

buoyant, buoy, buoyancy, buoys, buoyed, buoyantly

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Positive · Everyday, not technical · Rated G