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

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 Clear blue skies are hovering over the Pharmalot campus, where a cool breeze is wafting by and the official mascots are bounding about the grounds in search of critters. — Ed Silverman, STAT, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for waft

Recent Examples of Synonyms for waft

Noun

On his latest, Young’s major-key meditations on love and alienation are as winsome as a bay breeze, if occasionally as insubstantial.

— Linnie Greene, Pitchfork, 20 Oct. 2026
High tides along with a gusty breeze will impact communities along the Atlantic Ocean beginning Tuesday, continuing through early Thursday.

— Cutter Martin, CBS News, 20 Oct. 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

Brightening Eye Gel $76 Designed to brighten, hydrate, and de-puff, Tata Harper’s soothing eye gel is one of my morning must-haves—and it’s also dermatologist approved.

— Jenny Berg, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2026
The padding is generally offered in three weights to suit a range of designs from ultra-light jackets to high puff parkas.

— Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of puff

Verb

One tanker is now sailing toward Poland through the Red Sea, according to Bloomberg, and at least 20 more shipments have passed through the Strait of Hormuz to other destinations since early September.

— semafor.com, semafor.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Needing 11 yards on fourth down to continue their drive and cut into a 23-7 Packers lead, Prescott narrowly avoided a sack before lofting a pass that sailed out the back of the end zone, not close to any particular Cowboys receiver.

— Andrew Greif, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of sail

Noun

In a video premiered on Monday, Cardi took over Tiny Desk and brought an eight-song masterclass in breath control, joy, and showmanship.

— Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2026
His itinerary includes a stop in Cusco, which is around 3,350 meters above sea level, where there is roughly one-third less oxygen available per breath compared to sea-level.

— Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of breath

Verb

That was something for everyone else; for those who were not named after the bag and who were not lucky enough to float through life in the way that Birkin appeared to.

— Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 19 Oct. 2026
Together with changes that allowed the naira currency to float freely by market forces, Tinubu’s subsidy removal helped to improve Nigeria’s fiscal stability and strengthen reserves.

— Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of float

Verb

For the past 15 years, Ishmael Butler and his cast of collaborators have drifted further and further into the outer reaches, deconstructing and reassembling hip-hop, jazz, and kosmische conventions into sprawling, proggy rhapsodies.

— Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026
Meta stock plunged after the hyperscaler drifted into negative free cash flow, while China entered bear market territory with Alibaba’s stock dropping 6%, as investors questioned the return on its AI investments.

— Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of drift

Verb

After lingering in nearby waters for hours, the shark swam beneath an outer barrier net installed on the platform that night and reentered the waterway.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
This tiny wearable device could record thousands of individual neurons simultaneously as animals swim, play, explore, and interact naturally.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 21 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 26 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of waft

noun

verb

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