waft

verb \ ˈwäft , ˈwaft \

|Updated on: 7 Aug 2018

Examples: waft in a Sentence

Definition of waft

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

See waft defined for English-language learners

See waft defined for kids

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

Two elementary schools in National City were evacuated Monday morning after the smell of natural gas wafted over both campuses.

— robert krier, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Gas smell prompts school evacuations in National City," 30 Apr. 2018
This lets burgers of either variety cook in their own juices, leaving them fantastically moist, while allowing for some smoke to waft in.

— jim shahin, charlotteobserver, "The best way to grill a burger keeps it off the grate," 6 July 2018
In Paris’s oldest basketball court, the pair erected a tropical paradise with neon flowers, lemon verbena wafting about, and the chirping sounds of Aussie birds on the soundtrack.

— steff yotka, Vogue, "Romance Was Born Brings Its “Kinda Couture” to Paris," 3 July 2018
This lets burgers of either variety cook in their own juices, leaving them fantastically moist, while allowing for some smoke to waft in.

— jim shahin, chicagotribune.com, "The best way to grill a burger keeps it off the grate," 26 June 2018
Smoke from the fire was wafting near the Sacramento International Airport and farther south into the city.

— kayla fitzgerald and molly sullivan, sacbee, "Grass fire blazes through 150 acres near Sacramento airport," 11 June 2018
Jazz from a real record player wafts in the background as Tess walks past Simone’s record collection, her bookcases, and even her open Paris Review.

— refinery29.com, "Sweetbitter Episode 4: Champagne With Simone," 28 May 2018
The complex is one of the most diverse corners of the city, where numerous languages can be heard and the scents of cooking from around the world waft through the hallways.

— richard webner, San Antonio Express-News, "Refugees flee war-torn homelands for deteriorating apartment complexes in S.A.," 30 June 2018
Some of the toilets are out of order, so the patients urinate and defecate in black buckets next to their beds, the fetid smell wafting through the hallways.

— The Economist, "A crazy systemNobody spends enough on mental health," 26 Apr. 2018

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

See Words from the same year

waft Synonyms

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

In one of the tunnels, a gargantuan Mr. Incredible tries unsuccessfully to corral his son, while the scent of Jack-Jack’s favorite treats, Cookie Num Nums, wafts in the air.

— arthur levine, USA TODAY, "Disneyland's new Pixar Pier: Is it Incredible?," 10 July 2018
Soon, two heaping bags of McDonald’s chicken nuggets arrived with a greasy waft.

— ben detrick, New York Times, "Playboi Carti Conquers the Paris Runway," 29 June 2018
Smoke rises from their midst and the heady smell of hashish wafts all the way to the street outside the gates.

— maija liuhto, Longreads, "A Music So Beautiful the Birds Fell from the Trees," 28 June 2018
The easiest way to find the restaurant is the occasional narcotic waft of roasting Wagyu beef, which chef Oshima Manabu imports from his native Kyoto, wet-ages, and cooks on rotisserie skewers in an oven of his own design.

— stan parish, WSJ, "‘Go Beyond Sushi’: Tokyo’s Culinary Gems," 19 June 2018
Cale is the owner of Birmingham Chocolate, where the earthy aroma of chocolate wafts around you, reminding you of rich dark chocolate or the powder for hot chocolate.

— bryce airgood, Detroit Free Press, "Birmingham chocolatier studied rocket science before turning to truffles," 20 June 2018
Murakami’s jacket is bedazzled with an octopus print and the octopi-fringe on his skirt wafts around his legs as if the tentacles are alive.

— gaile robinson, star-telegram, "The Modern goes big and bright with international art star Murakami retrospective," 8 June 2018
In the late afternoon, baby boomer-friendly music wafts across the course, piped in through speakers disguised as rocks.

— john paul newport, WSJ, "The New Golf Vacation: Quicker, Easier and More Fun," 31 May 2018
From the languid sway of the bay laurel trees to the disco shimmer of the quaking aspens to the Dude-like serenity of the redwoods, a vague drugginess wafts over the place.

— chris colin, Outside Online, "Drawing a Line in the Sand Over River Rights," 30 May 2018