waft 1 of 2

noun

Definition of waftnext
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

waft

2 of 2

verb

ˈwäft How to pronounce waft (audio)
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
Walking through San & Wolves Bakeshop’s doors, you are hit with a waft of sweet air and come face-to-face with a display of pandesal, buns, tarts, cookies, cakes, and more. — Carolyn Burt, Oc Register, 30 July 2026 At lunchtime, Bosnian and English bounce between the tables while delicious aromas waft in from the kitchen. — Timothy Depeugh, Southern Living, 25 July 2026
Verb
The meats — some butchered on-site by Soto — sear over mesquite charcoal, with smoke wafting through the large patio and over the restaurant’s bright pink walls. — Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026 Large white feathers wafted in the breeze—Paris, after all, drove the 19th-century ostrich feather craze that swept the fashion world. — R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for waft
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waft
  1. breeze
  2. hover
  3. puff
  4. sail
  5. breath
  6. float
  7. drift
  8. swim
Noun
  • By the time Olivia Rodrigo hit the stage to headline the inaugural Daisy Chain Fields festival, the sun had set on a sweltering day, and anyone who was fading was sure to feel reenergized both from a welcome breeze and from Rodrigo’s set.
    — Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Pair it with straight-leg jeans and ballet flats for autumn travels and simply layer on a barn jacket if there’s a cool breeze.
    — Melony Forcier, PEOPLE, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of breeze
Verb
  • The overwater bungalows are pretty special, hovering over lapping waves where guests can stay in total peace and solitude.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Parton didn’t stop with Dollywood By the early 1990s, Parton created The Dollywood Foundation with the goal of decreasing the high school drop out rate in Sevier County, which was hovering around 30%.
    — Kimberlee Kruesi, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of hover
Noun
  • Ever since Bram Stoker popularized Count Dracula as a gothic figure of fantasy, the word vampire has been synonymous with undead bloodsuckers who vanish in a puff of smoke in the morning light (if not dazzle a little in the sunshine).
    — Mike McRae August 25, New Atlas, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Diamond Crystal or Morton kosher salt and stir just until mixture puffs and slightly lightens in color.
    — Ellary Collins, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of puff
Verb
  • Shallow groundwater stores supported fruit orchards, alfalfa fields, livestock ranches and, at one point, a water park and dozens of manmade lakes where people could fish, sail and water ski.
    — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The 91-meter (298-foot) Alsu is an oil or chemical tanker sailing from Kocaeli, east of Istanbul, to Aliaga on the Aegean coast, according to the Marine Traffic website.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of sail
Noun
  • Not feeling quite ready to start clearing up yet, Tracey stood in the kitchen doorway and took a long, deep breath.
    — Helen Simpson, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Coastal protection advocates held their breath late into the night Friday as the clock ticked at the end of the legislative session.
    — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of breath
Verb
  • Interesting Engineering has previously reported how floating power plants are powering vast areas in Russia by connecting to the local grid.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Videos of the flooding obtained by ABC News show a roaring Colorado River as mudflows and debris from metal structures are seen floating down the river.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of float
Verb
  • The vehicle drifted to the right toward the shoulder, struck the woman and continued south on Franklin Boulevard, according to the CHP.
    — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The montage ended bizarrely, with a clip of Clooney drifting into space to die in the film Gravity.
    — Nate Jones, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of drift
Verb
  • Sixteen beaches are not recommended for swimming by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
    — Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Children swim as ships are seen anchored in the Strait of Hormuz on August 10, 2026 off the coast of Bandar Abbas, Iran.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of swim

Browse Nearby Words

waffling
waft
wafted
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Waft.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waft. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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