buoyant
- Able to float or rise in liquid or air; cheerfully resilient in mood.
- Used figuratively to describe prices or an economy that tends to rise or remain strong.
In a sentence
- The child's buoyant laughter filled the room even on the gloomiest afternoon.
- Investors remained buoyant despite the earlier dip in the stock market.
Usage note. Use 'buoyant' for both physical floating and emotional uplift, but avoid overusing it in business writing where 'resilient' may sound less clichéd.
Where it comes from
English buoyant — “floating; cheerfully resilient” · entered English 17th c.
From Spanish 'boyar' (to float) or Dutch 'boeien' (to keep afloat, to fetter), related to 'boei' (buoy). Entered English in the late 16th century as 'buoy' (noun/verb), with 'buoyant' emerging in the 17th century. The figurative sense of cheerfulness developed in the 18th century. (Source: Etymonline, Oxford)