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

Relevance

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

The work was a touching reminder of Winehouse’s tangible presence, wafting through the galleries. — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 10 Oct. 2026 The familiar scent of grilling merguez wafted through the air as Violette began to enumerate the system’s failures. — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for waft

Recent Examples of Synonyms for waft

Noun

Even by Los Angeles standards, the weather on Sunday, July 9, 2023, was almost impossibly perfect—sunshine, low 70s, and a cool breeze—as if Hollywood itself has been dropped into the fantasy world of Barbie Land.

— Serena Turner, Vanity Fair, 3 Nov. 2026
Each one features a discreet zipper for a streamlined look, plus a wide opening that makes pillow insertion a breeze.

— Kate Boswell, Southern Living, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of breeze

Verb

With a police helicopter hovering overhead, police started using tear gas and a water cannon in an effort to move the protesters back.

— Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
Daytime temperatures hovered in the upper 40s to low 50s this week in Halifax, with overnight lows in the 30s, according to weather reports.

— Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of hover

Noun

The woman laughs every now and then and the man begins to almost sing between his puffs on his beedi.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026
His signature silhouettes included the tricolor stay-at-home puff coat and lacy slipdresses that could be worn as eveningwear.

— Tonya Blazio-Licorish, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of puff

Verb

Passengers who were set to sail on the cruise will receive a full refund and will be assisted in getting back home, according to MSC.

— Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026
The ship, which had been scheduled to sail for Haifa in Israel with 940 passengers and 597 crew on board, was being evacuated as a precaution, the coast guard added.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of sail

Noun

And on this tour, Pineda steps to the side quite a few times to grab a breath and allow Cain, drummer Deen Castronovo, and keyboardist Jason Derlatka a chance to sing a song or two.

— Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2026
In a sequence where Murakami imagines Godzilla getting revenge on the United States by attacking New York City, the monster unleashes atomic breath on Manhattan, and the action suddenly switches to slow motion.

— James Grebey, Time, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of breath

Verb

As on Does Spring Hide Its Joy, the question of who is making what sound—of what physical processes generated the music that now floats from a pair of headphones—loses its charge within a few minutes.

— Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 3 Nov. 2026
Root beer floats from the store’s cafe will be available at a discount, and election coverage will be shown on a projection screen.

— Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of float

Verb

The companies running their most important workloads on a single-vendor stack are running them on last Tuesday’s model, hoping the price does not move and the capability does not drift.

— Stephen Messer, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2026
Most of those are in the Atlanta suburbs — territory that has drifted decisively toward Democrats over the last decade.

— David Wickert, AJC.com, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of drift

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 4 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of waft

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

fulsome

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

Ten More Words from Taylor Swift Songs

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes