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

Inside of the Linc, the sweet smell of Chickie’s & Pete’s crab fries wafted, beers were poured, and rhinestone eye makeup set. — Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 20 Sep. 2026 Tendrils of smoke still wafted over the charred vessel by midday Thursday. — CBS News, 10 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for waft

Recent Examples of Synonyms for waft

Noun

There is also a focus on air and light, with the main lobby and restaurant having vast open walls, open-air ceilings, indoor gardens, and neat pools of water, all of which allow the Mediterranean breeze to circulate through.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Its smaller brush head and slim, ergonomic handle make even styling shorter hair a breeze, giving you better control to lift roots, shape ends, and add volume without the arm workout.

— Madison San Miguel, Allure, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of breeze

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

Aubrey's 65-yard attempt with about 30 seconds left in the second quarter sailed wide left.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026
Before its commissioning, the destroyer sailed from Norfolk to Florida and then traveled to Alaska through the Panama Canal.

— Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of sail

Noun

Dove notes this same phenomenon, highlighting how those sulfur byproducts escape through breath and sweat.

— Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2026
The proprietary clipguard technology that comes with it drastically reduces distortion and a internal pop filter to prevent plosive breath noise so listeners aren't distracted.

— George Yang, PC Magazine, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of breath

Verb

Some of the possible presidential candidates, such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, 55, have opted to stay on the sidelines during the midterm elections, while others have sat for press interviews and floated their own names to the media.

— Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 5 Oct. 2026
Named after the Victoria Regia, a water lily that floats in the Amazon, this hotel imbues Colombian flavor with elegant French touches.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of float

Verb

Adults, Yoshida says, drift away from a child’s heart as their perspective rises, and end up depicting their idea of what a child should be.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Oct. 2026
In my experience, many corporate teams drift between sympathetic over-activation (burnout) and dorsal shutdown (disengagement).

— Roy Ward, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of drift

Verb

Chinook salmon swim upstream first in the fall, and coho salmon usually start appearing in the Scott River to spawn in November.

— Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
While most long-bodied marine creatures swim like eels by flexing their whole bodies, the oarfish remains almost perfectly still.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 1 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 8 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of waft

noun

verb

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