waft

1 of 2

verb

wafted; wafting; wafts

intransitive verb

: to move or go lightly on or as if on a buoyant medium
heavenly aromas wafted from the kitchen

transitive verb

: to cause to move or go lightly by or as if by the impulse of wind or waves
wafter noun

waft

2 of 2

noun

1
: something (such as an odor) that is wafted : whiff
2
: a slight breeze : puff
3
: the act of waving
4
: a pennant or flag used to signal or to show wind direction

Examples of waft in a Sentence

Verb The smell of chicken soup wafted up to my bedroom. The sound of music wafted softly into the yard from our neighbor's house. A breeze wafted the scent of roses towards our table. Noun wafts carrying the scent of spring flowers
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Seductive superyacht concepts on social media promise a life in which families waft unbounded through fluid, open-plan, indoor-outdoor spaces devoid of clutter and supporting walls. Lucy Alexander, Robb Report, 23 Mar. 2024 The smells of batter and syrup wafted through the campus hallways. USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2024 The added moisture in the air, courtesy of the respective rivers in both cases, allows more condensate to waft into the funnel’s column of low pressure, illustrating the near-surface inflow feeding the tornado. Scott Dance, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 One December morning, Nick Lydon spots a dark plume wafting through the air. Troy Aidan Sambajon, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Mar. 2024 And even on an outing when neither tore up the stat sheet and Steph Curry wasn’t his normal explosive self, the aura wafting around the Curry trio was deeply palpable. Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 24 Feb. 2024 The smell of cholent wafting through my home may well be an accidental thing, the result of a capricious history guided by random encounters. Benjamin Dubow, Longreads, 20 Feb. 2024 Dangling plaster ceiling, like the stripped bark of the eucalyptus trees out front, beckoned me onward as an ocean breeze wafted through the shattered windows. Sam McManis, Sacramento Bee, 31 Jan. 2024 The wafting aura emanating from this coming-of-age drama smells like a recognizable teen spirit, which resembles a cross between Axe body spray, spillage from rail-liquor shots, and pheromones. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 30 Jan. 2024
Noun
Even the very air of the restaurant seems to have a lushness to it, though that might just be wafts of browning butter from a nearby tableside steak flambé. Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 25 Feb. 2024 With an approximate burn time of 85 hours, the iconic scents of citrus and fruit waft gently throughout the air. Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 19 Feb. 2024 On our visit, the house cocktail (rum and vanilla with orange, lime and passion fruit juices) was interrupted by wafts of frankincense and clamor on the street below, where 100 men in black were carrying a Virgen through the night, the gilded figure flickering in the candlelight. Lisa Johnson, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Nov. 2023 As for the nose, and the three minutes allotted to appreciating its complexity, the 29-Year-Old hints at Muscovado sugar, cocoa, and a touch of bitter orange marmalade, with wafts of Christmas spice, maraschino cherries, and delicate citrus fruits. Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 22 Dec. 2023 Wandering this densely packed labyrinth, you’ll be hit with a new smell every few feet: wafts of aromatic couscous, fresh flowers, and smoked ham are what make this bustling market such a joy on every visit. Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 31 Dec. 2023 The sweet smell of waffles and chocolate wafts out of confection shops. Lindsay Cohn, Travel + Leisure, 14 Nov. 2023 Fallon recalls past interactive, multi-dimensional inventions, featuring ingenious elements like wafts of potpourri-scents and an iPad centerpiece framing a roaring fireplace video-loop. Fawnia Soo Hoo, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Dec. 2023 But Pelosi, who grew up listening to opera waft through the streets of Baltimore’s Little Italy, is a genuine tie-dyed in the wool Deadhead, as cultists and aficionados of the group are known. Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'waft.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, perhaps from past participle of Middle English (northern dialect) waffen, by-form of Middle English waven to wave

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1607, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of waft was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near waft

Cite this Entry

“Waft.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/waft. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

waft

1 of 2 verb
: to move or be moved lightly by or as if by the action of wind or waves

waft

2 of 2 noun
: a slight breeze : puff

More from Merriam-Webster on waft

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