waft

verb \ ˈwäft , ˈwaft \

Definition of waft

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

See waft defined for English-language learners

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Examples of waft in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of waft from the Web

Drake warms up the crowd at the downtown Toronto amphitheater, while at least 20 bodyguards stand watch and puffs of marijuana smoke waft skyward like at a Phish concert.

— greg bishop, SI.com, "Farce vs. Fight: Is Mayweather-McGregor Risking Boxing's Best Chance at Resurgence?," 22 Aug. 2017
The faint odor of weed wafted and a champagne cork popped in the distance.

— rosemarie stein, OregonLive.com, "Portland Metro Tuesday Weather: Mostly sunny and warm with wildfire smoke in the sky," 22 Aug. 2017
The smell of tobacco wafted out of warehouses and factories and across downtown Durham, and a mile and a half down Main Street, tiny Trinity College hadn’t yet changed its name to Duke University.

— david a. graham, The Atlantic, "Durham's Confederate Statue Comes Down," 15 Aug. 2017
Aside from the sound of the surf that can waft through the night air, Stargazing offers astronomy novices valuable on-site viewing information from astronomical society members and devoted telescope enthusiasts.

— bob kostanczuk, Post-Tribune, "Stargazing at Indiana Dunes offers prime galactic viewing," 10 Aug. 2017
With no major races on the ballot this year, most speakers were expected to aim their barbs at each other instead of opponents with the hint of possible political announcements wafting over the grounds like smoke from the barbecue pits.

— deborah yetter, The Courier-Journal, "Fancy Farm: Prayer, pork and get ready for the political put-downs," 5 Aug. 2017
This can be distracting, but the smells of oils and spices wafting from a working onstage stove certainly adds to the ambience.

— christopher arnott, courant.com, "TheaterWorks' Raucous 'Raging Skillet' A Mix Of Sweet And Salty," 3 Aug. 2017
A surging wildfire raced through California mountains and foothills west of Yosemite National Park on Wednesday, forcing thousands to flee tiny, Gold Rush-era towns and wafting smoky haze over the park’s landmark Half Dome rock face.

— Washington Post, "‘Couldn’t even see the sun’: Fire races near Yosemite park," 19 July 2017
A few years ago, when Caltrans did repairs on the elevated section of Highway 50 through downtown, the work sent dust wafting into neighborhoods a block away.

— tony bizjak, sacbee, "Would a new carpool lane bring more cars to Highway 50 downtown? New lawsuit says yes.," 17 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'waft.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of waft

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

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First Known Use: 15th century

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waft Synonyms

Synonyms

drift, glide, hang, hover, poise, ride, sail, swim, float

Antonyms

settle, sink

Related Words

bob, dangle, suspend; buoy; balloon, raft

Near Antonyms

dive, lunge, plunge; dip, immerse, submerge, submerse

waft

noun

Definition of waft

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

wafts carrying the scent of spring flowers

Recent Examples of waft from the Web

Country music wafts over the sidewalk at a restaurant several doors down.

— jim ryan, OregonLive.com, "What drives a man to kill a teen wrestler, a friend and himself? Hermiston still doesn't know," 18 Aug. 2017
Tear gas wafts into the trees during clashes in Altamira on April 19.

— ioan grillo, TIME.com, "Scenes From a Last Gasp of Democracy," 12 Aug. 2017
The smell of sewage wafts over unpaved streets choked with plastic trash.

— benjamin preston, Fortune, "A 9-Day Journey Along the Most Controversial Strip of Land in Trump’s America," 24 July 2017
The waft of coffee and food mixed with the unmistakable smell of the cold river’s edge was almost intoxicating.

— jessica brown, Longreads, "Searching London for My ‘Third Place’," 18 July 2017
Ms. Teo’s only complaint is that smoke from neighbors wafts in.

— joyce cohen, New York Times, "A Dress Designer Picks Borough Park," 6 July 2017
Like a Bentley Continental GT, the E400 coupe’s waft game is strong, what with its easy torque, silence at speed, supple suspension, and solid structure.

— tony quiroga, Car and Driver, "2018 Mercedes-Benz E400 Coupe," 24 June 2017
Warm breezes waft through the trees, birds soar by, the river hurries past, and the ingredients of comedy, tragedy and everything in between are served up in the fun, casual atmosphere of a picnic.

— dana oland, idahostatesman, "Summer of The Bard: Idaho Shakespeare Festival brings Hamlets and Hounds to its stage," 25 May 2017
And the premise, which is barely comprehensible at the best of times, just wafts in and out of the play as suits the song choice.

— trevor fraser, OrlandoSentinel.com, "'Soap Opera - Sloppy Seconds' at Orlando Fringe Festival," 16 May 2017

First Known Use of waft

1607

waft Synonyms

Synonyms

air, breath, puff, breeze, zephyr

Related Words

current, draft, whiff; sea breeze; blast, blow, flurry, gale, headwind, northeaster, norther, northwester, southeaster, southwester, tailwind, westerly, wind; squall, tempest, tornado, windstorm; airflow

Near Antonyms

calm

WAFT Defined for English Language Learners

waft

verb

Definition of waft for English Language Learners

: to move lightly through the air

WAFT Defined for Kids

waft

verb \ ˈwäft , ˈwaft \

Definition of waft for Students

wafted; wafting

:to move or be moved lightly by or as if by the action of waves or wind A scent wafted in.

waft

noun

Definition of waft for Students

:a slight breeze or puff of air

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waft

Definition of waft

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