floating
Floating (adjective) means resting on top of a liquid or drifting through the air rather than sinking or falling. Example: “A floating dock bobbed gently at the marina.”
How to Use Floating
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishNot fixed in place — either literally staying on the surface of a liquid, or figuratively free to move or shift.
Word Forms
floatings plural
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
A _____ dock bobbed gently at the marina.
Related Words
Rhymes for floating
See all rhymes for floating →Frequently Asked Questions
What does “floating” mean?
The word “floating” means resting on top of a liquid or drifting through the air rather than sinking or falling. In plain terms, not fixed in place — either literally staying on the surface of a liquid, or figuratively free to move or shift.
How do you pronounce “floating”?
“Floating” is pronounced FLOH-tihng (/ˈfloʊtɪŋ/ in IPA).
How do you use “floating” in a sentence?
Here is “floating” used in a sentence: “A floating dock bobbed gently at the marina.”
What part of speech is “floating”?
“Floating” is an adjective.
Is “floating” a common word?
“Floating” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “floating” have?
“Floating” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: resting on top of a liquid or drifting through the air rather than sinking or falling.
What is the difference between floating and drifting?
Floating means resting on top of a liquid or being suspended in the air rather than sinking or falling. Drifting adds the idea of being carried along by a current or the wind, so something can float in one spot but drift only when it is moving.
When should you use floating instead of sinking?
Use floating when something stays on the surface of a liquid or hovers in the air, and sinking when it drops below the surface. The two describe opposite outcomes, so a buoyant object is floating while a heavy one is sinking.