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
Each set comes with headphones, a waist bag, a carrying bag, charging cable and more.
—
Tory Johnson, ABC News, 21 Mar. 2026
As a main guideline, think about ribcage jeans as an opportunity to actually showcase your waist rather than hiding it.
—Dino Bonačić, Glamour, 21 Mar. 2026
The dress, a powder-pink silk custom Chanel dress by Matthieu Blazy, featured a bustier embroidered with white and gray crystals and black beads, and a peplum waist made of beige, pink, nude, and apricot feathers that flowed into a skirt.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 18 Mar. 2026
Greg Durso, who is now 40, suffered a sledding accident in 2009 that left him paralyzed from the waist down.
—Tim Neville, Outside, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for waist
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Tory Johnson, ABC News, 21 Mar. 2026
As a main guideline, think about ribcage jeans as an opportunity to actually showcase your waist rather than hiding it.
—Dino Bonačić, Glamour, 21 Mar. 2026
The dress, a powder-pink silk custom Chanel dress by Matthieu Blazy, featured a bustier embroidered with white and gray crystals and black beads, and a peplum waist made of beige, pink, nude, and apricot feathers that flowed into a skirt.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 18 Mar. 2026
Greg Durso, who is now 40, suffered a sledding accident in 2009 that left him paralyzed from the waist down.
—Tim Neville, Outside, 18 Mar. 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 22 Mar. 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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