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

At lunchtime, Bosnian and English bounce between the tables while delicious aromas waft in from the kitchen. — Timothy Depeugh, Southern Living, 25 July 2026 There are flies, rats and, if the wind shifts every so slightly, a waft of thick, nauseating air from the warehouse. — Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026

Verb

The smoke that wafted into the atmosphere from the fires was filled with reflective, cloud-interacting aerosols, contributing to a brightening of low marine clouds over the southeast subtropical Pacific. — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 16 July 2026 The small fragments of colorful glass, strung along together, produce soothing sounds, their tinkling notes wafting through the air alongside a chorus of windchimes and the sweet scent of plumeria blooming in the garden. — Michael James Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for waft

Recent Examples of Synonyms for waft

Noun

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
The region’s mild climate and coastal breezes encourage an effortless indoor-outdoor lifestyle.

— Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of breeze

Verb

As a result, the average restaurant profit margin now hovers between a precarious 3% and 5%, and industry data suggests that up to 42% of restaurants are currently struggling just to stay in the black.

— Robert Messer, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
With the global benchmark for oil currently hovering near $90 per barrel, China’s dramatic dip in oil exports—by close to 4 million barrels daily—is the biggest reason why prices aren’t much higher.

— Jordan Blum, Fortune, 31 July 2026

Definition of hover

Noun

The puff sleeves add a dainty touch while simultaneously offering more coverage, and the loose and flowy style won’t feel restricting or stuffy in hot weather.

— Anna Traver, InStyle, 25 July 2026
More impressively, Melton manages to exhale a puff of smoke so thick that cinematographer Magnus Nordenhof Jønck can still see it through the set’s fog.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026

Definition of puff

Noun

Novice freedivers can usually learn to hold their breath for over two minutes and descend to over 20 meters while professional freedivers can dive well deeper than 100 meters and hold their breath for well over 10 minutes.

— Bill Springer, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Wasp was a welcome breath of fresh Marvel air after the grim finale of Infinity War, but that’s not enough to justify its entry into the top 20.

— EW Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of breath

Verb

While HoloHolo Grill is the only restaurant onsite, Kōloa Landing Resort does have a free-standing snack shack poolside serving shave ice and root beer floats along with a handy marketplace just off the lobby.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
Gualtieri said the property tax ballot amendment is not the proposal that DeSantis first floated to voters and questioned why there were no protections for public safety funding.

— Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of float

Verb

If its multiple drifts back to 30 over the next five years, Apple will need a 5% annual push from a combination of repurchases and earnings expansion just to stay even, to maintain its share price at current levels.

— Shawn Tully, Fortune, 30 July 2026
Mortgage rates are also drifting higher amid concerns that fighting in the Middle East could accelerate inflation, as shipping disruptions in the region push up oil and fuel prices.

— Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 30 July 2026

Definition of drift

Verb

Primus could easily have been a blip, one of many abortive major label risks in a decade when the industry was swimming in cash.

— Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 2 Aug. 2026
Dikra is a 20-year-old migrant from Morocco CEUTA, Spain -- Dikra, a 20-year-old migrant from Morocco, had spent five days in Ceuta by Sunday after swimming to the Spanish territory with her younger sister and cousin.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of swim

Browse Nearby Words

waffling

waft

wafted

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Cite this Entry

Style

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

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Synonyms of waft

noun

verb

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