waft

1 of 2

verb

ˈwäft  ˈwaft 

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

Synonyms

Verb

• drift
• float
• glide
• hang
• hover
• poise
• ride
• sail
• swim

Noun

• air
• breath
• breeze
• puff
• zephyr

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

Wildfire smoke wafting across the country from North America West blazes may be leading to cardiac and respiratory issues thousands of miles away, a new study has found. —Sharon Udasin, The Hill, 13 Dec. 2024

A touch of the Caribbean wafts into Dalila's in drinks like El Conejo, with mezcal, dark rum, banana and passion fruit. —Scott Hocker, theweek, 4 Dec. 2024

Noun

And one last time before parting, the sweet notes of a flute waft through the air. —Ross Peleh, NPR, 25 Dec. 2024

Its star notes are tart cherry and sugary vanilla, but this full-bodied fragrance also features wafts of raspberry, rose, birchwood, and vetiver. —Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 25 Nov. 2024

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

Kids Definition

waft

1 of 2 verb

ˈwäft  ˈwaft 

: 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