wafted; wafting; wafts
: to move or go lightly on or as if on a buoyant medium
heavenly aromas wafted from the kitchen
: to cause to move or go lightly by or as if by the impulse of wind or waves
wafter
noun
Synonyms
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
Christopher Barnard, New York Times, 24 Nov. 2023
Dozens of oversized windows scattered throughout the house flood the place with natural light, while sliding glass doors allow ocean breezes to waft inside and back out.
—James McClain, Robb Report, 14 Nov. 2023
Think of it as an overflow space off the kitchen where friends and family can sit in a comfy chair and chat as delicious aromas waft around them while the cook makes a meal.
—Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Sep. 2023
In June, during Canada’s worst-ever wildfire season, New York saw its skies turn orange from the smoke that wafted over, with residents suffering from that type of pollution at a concentration of about 117 micrograms per cubic meter.
—Hari Kumar, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2023
The sound of water wafts up from below and the night sky above is littered with stars.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 3 Nov. 2023
With each footstep, the scent of grass or horse manure wafted through the air.
—Clarence Williams, Washington Post, 6 Nov. 2023
Drones launched from a central hub would waft through the skies delivering just about everything anyone could need.
—David Streitfeld, New York Times, 4 Nov. 2023
The odor of cannabis wafted up the back stairs toward the cavernous, second-floor newsroom.
—Daniel Golden, ProPublica, 14 Oct. 2023
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
Cue the sounds of rolling waves, wafts of sea breeze and quintessential ocean views.
—Robyn George, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2023
In the coming days, the model suggests that a portion of the country stretching from the Midwest into the Southeast could also experience hazy conditions, as tendrils of smoke waft over these regions.
—NBC News, 8 June 2023
Methane gas leaks from wells and natural gas lines and wafts from manure ponds, decomposing landfills, and directly from livestock.
—Isabella O'Malley, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2023
There are wafts of fragrant florals; there are waves of winter spices.
—Allison Robicelli, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2023
Catching the occasional funny waft after using the bathroom is normal.
—Sabrina Talbert, Women's Health, 31 Jan. 2023
The waft of Carrolls cigarettes and Majors.
—Kevin Barry, The New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2022
See More
Verb
The smoke was wafting from a bunch of sage leaves lit by Thomas Little, whose company, Urbangreen, has done landscaping and planting work at Mr. Derian’s stores for the last decade.
—Christopher Barnard, New York Times, 24 Nov. 2023
Dozens of oversized windows scattered throughout the house flood the place with natural light, while sliding glass doors allow ocean breezes to waft inside and back out.
—James McClain, Robb Report, 14 Nov. 2023
Think of it as an overflow space off the kitchen where friends and family can sit in a comfy chair and chat as delicious aromas waft around them while the cook makes a meal.
—Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Sep. 2023
In June, during Canada’s worst-ever wildfire season, New York saw its skies turn orange from the smoke that wafted over, with residents suffering from that type of pollution at a concentration of about 117 micrograms per cubic meter.
—Hari Kumar, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2023
The sound of water wafts up from below and the night sky above is littered with stars.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 3 Nov. 2023
With each footstep, the scent of grass or horse manure wafted through the air.
—Clarence Williams, Washington Post, 6 Nov. 2023
Drones launched from a central hub would waft through the skies delivering just about everything anyone could need.
—David Streitfeld, New York Times, 4 Nov. 2023
The odor of cannabis wafted up the back stairs toward the cavernous, second-floor newsroom.
—Daniel Golden, ProPublica, 14 Oct. 2023
Noun
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
Cue the sounds of rolling waves, wafts of sea breeze and quintessential ocean views.
—Robyn George, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2023
In the coming days, the model suggests that a portion of the country stretching from the Midwest into the Southeast could also experience hazy conditions, as tendrils of smoke waft over these regions.
—NBC News, 8 June 2023
Methane gas leaks from wells and natural gas lines and wafts from manure ponds, decomposing landfills, and directly from livestock.
—Isabella O'Malley, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2023
There are wafts of fragrant florals; there are waves of winter spices.
—Allison Robicelli, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2023
Catching the occasional funny waft after using the bathroom is normal.
—Sabrina Talbert, Women's Health, 31 Jan. 2023
The waft of Carrolls cigarettes and Majors.
—Kevin Barry, The New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2022
See More
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 11 Dec. 2023.
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