levitating
4 synonyms and 2 antonyms for levitating, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Verb — Present participle of levitate: rising and floating in the air with no visible means of support.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
hanging in the air
Antonyms
sinking
falling
How to use levitating
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
levitating above the ground
magnetically levitating
appeared to be levitating
Neutral; used in physics and engineering as well as in descriptions of magic and the paranormal.
Etymology
From Latin levis, meaning "light" (in weight), with the verb formed on the pattern of gravitate.
Full origin of levitating →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between levitating and floating?
Floating can happen in any medium, including water, and usually implies support from the liquid or gas around the object. Levitating specifically means being suspended in the air without visible support, and carries a suggestion of the supernatural or of hidden technology such as magnets.
Can a person actually levitate?
There is no scientific evidence that a person can rise into the air unaided. Stage levitation is achieved with concealed rigs and misdirection, and laboratory levitation of small objects uses magnetic fields, sound waves or air jets.
