waft

1 of 2

verb

wafted; wafting; wafts

intransitive verb

: to move or go lightly on or as if on a buoyant medium
heavenly aromas wafted from the kitchen

transitive verb

: to cause to move or go lightly by or as if by the impulse of wind or waves
wafter noun

waft

2 of 2

noun

1
: something (such as an odor) that is wafted : whiff
2
: a slight breeze : puff
3
: the act of waving
4
: a pennant or flag used to signal or to show wind direction

Examples of waft in a Sentence

Verb The smell of chicken soup wafted up to my bedroom. The sound of music wafted softly into the yard from our neighbor's house. A breeze wafted the scent of roses towards our table. Noun wafts carrying the scent of spring flowers
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The wafting aura emanating from this coming-of-age drama smells like a recognizable teen spirit, which resembles a cross between Axe body spray, spillage from rail-liquor shots, and pheromones. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 30 Jan. 2024 The restaurant has been a fixture of the Hastings fish and chips scene for decades, and when the doors open at noon, the smell of crisp, golden-brown fish wafts out of the door and greets the line of locals and tourists waiting on the staircase for a table. Josh Lederman, NBC News, 1 Jan. 2024 Scalding, vaporized particles of a chemical mixture wafted into his body. Siddhartha Mukherjee, The New Yorker, 11 Dec. 2023 Plumes of incense have wafted around the organ pipes and through the choir’s chancel in Catholic Church ceremonies for centuries, while in the 19th century theaters sometimes distributed scented fans to help with body odor issues. Chloe Schama, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2024 Rumors also wafted around town of the bodies of Native Americans simply rolled into the ravine below the hill. Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024 Her voice wafted into the final chords and into the quiet. Julia Daye, Sacramento Bee, 26 Feb. 2024 And a foggy haze wafting above the audience is cigarette smoke, with smoking only legal during NBA games before the ’80s. Ann Binlot, CNN, 21 Feb. 2024 Normally this plume wafts over to the Americas, forming a giant umbrella that shades all that Atlantic water. Matt Simon, WIRED, 15 Feb. 2024
Noun
With an approximate burn time of 85 hours, the iconic scents of citrus and fruit waft gently throughout the air. Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 19 Feb. 2024 On our visit, the house cocktail (rum and vanilla with orange, lime and passion fruit juices) was interrupted by wafts of frankincense and clamor on the street below, where 100 men in black were carrying a Virgen through the night, the gilded figure flickering in the candlelight. Lisa Johnson, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Nov. 2023 As for the nose, and the three minutes allotted to appreciating its complexity, the 29-Year-Old hints at Muscovado sugar, cocoa, and a touch of bitter orange marmalade, with wafts of Christmas spice, maraschino cherries, and delicate citrus fruits. Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 22 Dec. 2023 Wandering this densely packed labyrinth, you’ll be hit with a new smell every few feet: wafts of aromatic couscous, fresh flowers, and smoked ham are what make this bustling market such a joy on every visit. Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 31 Dec. 2023 The sweet smell of waffles and chocolate wafts out of confection shops. Lindsay Cohn, Travel + Leisure, 14 Nov. 2023 Fallon recalls past interactive, multi-dimensional inventions, featuring ingenious elements like wafts of potpourri-scents and an iPad centerpiece framing a roaring fireplace video-loop. Fawnia Soo Hoo, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Dec. 2023 But Pelosi, who grew up listening to opera waft through the streets of Baltimore’s Little Italy, is a genuine tie-dyed in the wool Deadhead, as cultists and aficionados of the group are known. Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2023 But walking through the glass doors of My Kabul is transporting: Photos of Afghanistan, with its stately mountains and clear blue lakes, line the wall, while the smells of Afghan food waft from the kitchen. Grace Segers, The New Republic, 14 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'waft.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, perhaps from past participle of Middle English (northern dialect) waffen, by-form of Middle English waven to wave

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1607, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of waft was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near waft

Cite this Entry

“Waft.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/waft. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

waft

1 of 2 verb
: to move or be moved lightly by or as if by the action of wind or waves

waft

2 of 2 noun
: a slight breeze : puff

More from Merriam-Webster on waft

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