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

Hall has many fond memories of working with founder Yves Saint Laurent, not least as the inaugural face of the brand’s Opium scent, which wafted across the set. — Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026 Hara-sensei always had a green-apple fragrance wafting about him. — Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for waft

Recent Examples of Synonyms for waft

Noun

Our sunny afternoon lunch featured fresh seafood and bright, flavorful pasta, paired with a crisp white wine from the hotel’s winery and a late-summer breeze shaking the trees overhead.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026
The breeze will start to build in, and high temperatures will rise into the mid- to upper 80s on Saturday and Sunday.

— Lissette Gonzalez, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of breeze

Verb

Flight-tracking site flightradar24 showed all flights to Riyadh had either been diverted or canceled, with only a helicopter hovering over the airport at one point.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026
Data released Thursday by the US Department of Labor showed that initial jobless claims fell by 2,000 to 197,000 for the week ending October 3rd, hovering near a 57 year low for a fourth consecutive week.

— , CNBC, 9 Oct. 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

Launched last year, Louis Vuitton’s multiyear partnership with Real Madrid marked yet another high-profile sports deal for the world’s biggest luxury brand, which is active in disciplines ranging from sailing to Formula 1.

— Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
Henderson picked it up and sailed a throw to first, allowing the tying run to score.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of sail

Noun

At various town hall events, Sand has cited biblical passages that can be interpreted as saying that life begins at breath instead of conception.

— Gabrielle M. Etzel, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2026
Rooms The sheer architectural ingenuity and stature of the main building will take your breath away.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of breath

Verb

Later, or earlier, the square reflection of a fluorescent light against the window resembles a rectangular moon floating in a clear blue sky.

— David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 12 Oct. 2026
With the false color, the vegetation surrounding the salt pan appears in shades of red, while the salt pan itself looks like a mix of bright, light and dark blues with cloudy sediment floating around.

— Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of float

Verb

But like many figures in Silicon Valley, his politics appeared to drift to the right during Biden’s presidency.

— Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Stewart complained about the chain’s merchandising and quality control, and Kmart was drifting toward financial trouble.

— Fernanda Tronco, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of drift

Verb

The Perse version channels the country’s northern provinces along the Caspian Sea, which traditionally highlight a species of carp that swims in local waters.

— Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
The sprint-distance format had contestants swim 750 meters, bike 20,000 meters and run the final 5,000.

— Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 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 14 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of waft

noun

verb

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