1
a
: the typically narrowed part of the body between the hips and chest or upper back
put his arm around her waist
b
: the greatly constricted basal part of the abdomen of some insects (such as wasps and flies)
2
: the part of something corresponding to or resembling the human waist: such as
a(1)
: the part of a ship's deck between the poop and forecastle
(2)
: the middle part of a sailing ship between foremast and mainmast
b
: the middle section of the fuselage of an airplane
Examples of waist in a Sentence
He has a narrow waist and broad shoulders.
He put his arm around her waist.
These pants have an elastic waist.
The waist of this skirt is too tight.
Recent Examples on the Web
His head isn’t visible; the focus of the image is the swirl of hair on the man’s chest and at his waist, pointing toward what is concealed in his trunks.
—
Hilton Als, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2026
Her husband then climbed on top of her and straddled her with his legs across her waist.
—Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2026
Foundayo may also improve heart health Narula also noted that Eli Lilly claims Foundayo has been shown to improve heart health indicators in research studies, such as waist circumference, non-HDL cholesterol, triglycerides and systolic blood pressure.
—Yi-Jin Yu, ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
Merokeety Striped Short-sleeve Dress T-shirt dresses are the unofficial style of spring and summer, and this wrinkle-resistant option with a flattering tie-waist and pockets is about to become your favorite purchase of the season.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for waist
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Hilton Als, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2026
Her husband then climbed on top of her and straddled her with his legs across her waist.
—Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2026
Foundayo may also improve heart health Narula also noted that Eli Lilly claims Foundayo has been shown to improve heart health indicators in research studies, such as waist circumference, non-HDL cholesterol, triglycerides and systolic blood pressure.
—Yi-Jin Yu, ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
Merokeety Striped Short-sleeve Dress T-shirt dresses are the unofficial style of spring and summer, and this wrinkle-resistant option with a flattering tie-waist and pockets is about to become your favorite purchase of the season.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for waist
Cite this Entry
“Waist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/waist. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
waist
noun1
a
: the usually narrowed part of the body between the chest and hips
b
: the narrow front part of the abdomen of some insects (as a wasp)
2
: the central portion of something that is usually thinner or narrower than the ends
the waist of a ship
the waist of a violin
3
: a garment or the part of a garment that covers the body from the neck to the waist
Medical Definition
waist
noun
: the typically narrowed part of the body between the thorax and hips
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