WAFT Synonyms: 52 Similar and Opposite Words

waft 1 of 2

noun

Definition of waft

as in breeze

a slight or gentle movement of air wafts carrying the scent of spring flowers

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

calm

waft

2 of 2

verb

ˈwäft

as in to hover

to rest or move along the surface of a liquid or in the air a feather wafted past us and settled on the grass

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of waft

Noun

Spritz it in the morning and prepare for subtle, spa-like wafts of forest floor throughout the day. — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 4 Aug. 2026 Nearby, the scents of carne asada and carnitas waft out of taquerias, inviting those nearby to stop in for a meal. — Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 31 July 2026

Verb

Just then, the strains of a familiar song wafted across the store, and Valencia and Zegarra followed it, past a Lightning McQueen replica, to a tiny area where a half-dozen child-size chairs were arranged before a screen. — Daniel Alarcón, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026 Meanwhile top women’s seed Aryna Sabalenka complained when the smell of marijuana wafted from crowd to court. — Greg Cote september 6, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for waft

Recent Examples of Synonyms for waft

Noun

Blue skies, cool breezes, and plenty of chirping birds are enveloping the comfy Pharmalot campus, which is cause to fire up the coffee kettle for yet another cup of stimulation.

— Ed Silverman, STAT, 29 Sep. 2026
Clouds will gradually break for some sunshine with a light northwest breeze and highs in the low to mid-70s.

— Bill Kelly, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of breeze

Verb

After lingering over spaghetti alle vongole at Ristorante Lido Azzurro, which hovers over the sea near Amalfi’s harbor, zip around the coast to sea caverns and grottos, pausing for dips in secluded spots away from the crowds.

— Lane Nieset, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Sep. 2026
Yields on Japan’s 10-year bonds rose to their highest level in three decades, while US Treasury yields hovered above 5%, a level not seen since the 2007 financial crisis, helping push American mortgage rates to more than 7%.

— Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of hover

Noun

Dressier iterations had belted, lapel-less jackets reminiscent of a kimono in keeping with the nomadic theme of the collection or replaced the blazer with puff-of-air bombers in airy bouclé knit.

— Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026
Without authentic longing, and without any bittersweet complexity to the portrait of one social order replacing another, we’re left with little more than puffs of amusement, enough to escalate your mood but bound to fade by morning.

— Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of puff

Verb

The ship’s April transatlantic cruise starts in Port Canaveral before sailing to Bermuda, the Azores, Portugal, and England.

— Megan duBois, Southern Living, 29 Sep. 2026
Early in the match tiebreaker, De Minaur leaped for a volley and ended up sprawled on the black court inside the O2 Arena before popping back up as Zverev's reply sailed out.

— ABC News, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of sail

Noun

Residents of the Pierre’s 77 apartments and the 400+ employees who’d lose their jobs in case of a sale will have to hold their breath.

— Noah Shachtman, Vanity Fair, 29 Sep. 2026
In moments of high stress, pause and take a few intentional breaths before considering what is really driving your emotions.

— Majd Al-Waheidi, NPR, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of breath

Verb

Wrapped in a tough, drop-proof fabric shell that floats and shrugs off water, it is engineered to survive real-world chaos.

— Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 28 Sep. 2026
The project will combine an electric workboat, a 40-kilowatt fast charger, and a mobile floating energy storage system called ChargeBarge.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of float

Verb

Adults, Yoshida says, drift away from a child’s heart as their perspective rises, and end up depicting their idea of what a child should be.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Oct. 2026
In my experience, many corporate teams drift between sympathetic over-activation (burnout) and dorsal shutdown (disengagement).

— Roy Ward, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of drift

Verb

Chinook salmon swim upstream first in the fall, and coho salmon usually start appearing in the Scott River to spawn in November.

— Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
While most long-bodied marine creatures swim like eels by flexing their whole bodies, the oarfish remains almost perfectly still.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of swim

Browse Nearby Words

waffling

waft

wafted

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Style

“Waft.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waft. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of waft

noun

verb

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