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

The scents of honey, lavender, patchouli and cedarwood waft through The Hive by Upcycled Candles, as soft alternative rock fills the air. — Sarah Kyrcz, Hartford Courant, 30 Mar. 2026 Banana pudding wafts with the green vanilla notes of pandan. — Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 24 Mar. 2026

Verb

Summer is here, your windows are open and the smell wafting in is of…car exhaust and the latest wildfire. — Emily Kwong, NPR, 16 June 2026 The unmistakable smell of cigar smoke is wafting about the corridor leading directly to the visitor’s locker room at Frost Bank Center. — Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 14 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for waft

Recent Examples of Synonyms for waft

Noun

Covering the pan in aluminum foil also helps make cleanup a breeze.

— Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 8 July 2026
And the Fourth of July holiday week was kind of a breeze, with low wait times at most attractions at both parks.

— Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026

Definition of breeze

Verb

Dark clouds hovered around the stadium just before kickoff, threatening to delay the start of the game, but Mother Nature apparently is a soccer fan, because the storm veered away.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 4 July 2026
Temperatures in the beach cities pleasantly hovered in the 70s, a stark contrast to East Coast communities broiling in a heat wave.

— Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026

Definition of hover

Verb

With minor refinements to the individual perovskite films, the efficiency of this lightweight architecture could easily sail past 30 percent.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 July 2026
His blast, which sailed just inside the right field foul pole, was the difference as the Padres beat the Diamondbacks 4-1 at Petco Park.

— Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2026

Definition of sail

Verb

By tying ticket access to listening behavior rather than open on-sales or presale codes floating on secondary marketplaces, Spotify is testing whether platform data can succeed where CAPTCHAs and queue systems have struggled.

— Lauren Schuster, Sacbee.com, 6 July 2026
Monitor Temperature and Water Quality A floating pool thermometer—available for around $10—tells you if your pond is getting too hot.

— Anne Readel, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 July 2026

Definition of float

Verb

The incident occurred when Clark and her colleagues took a break to swim in the Econlockhatchee River near the Barr Street trailhead, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

— Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
It is considered unsafe to swim in the rivers for at least 48 hours after a storm.

— Finch Walker, USA Today, 5 July 2026

Definition of swim

Browse Nearby Words

waffling

waft

wafted

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Waft.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waft. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of waft

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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