What does "waft" mean?
A light breeze.
Waft
/wɑft/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A light breeze.
- Grammar: waft is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: air express, airflow, airfreight, airlift.
- Useful contrasts: calm, hold back, retain.
- Usage evidence: "This more, besides, I charge thee to obey, / if any faith to Helenus be due, / or skill in prophecy the seer display, / and mighty Phoebus hath inspired me true, / these warning words I urge, and oft will urge anew: / Seek Juno first; great Juno's power adore; / with suppliant gifts the potent queen constrain, / and winds shall waft thee to Italia's shore."
How to use "waft"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "waft" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "waft" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "waft" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "waft" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "waft" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "air express" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "waft", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A light breeze.
"It lay before him white and ghaistly, with mist blowing in wafts across it and a slow swaying of the tides."
- 2 a long flag; often tapering wordnet
- 3 Something (such as an odor or perfume) that is carried through the air.
"Meanwhile, the wafts from his old home pleaded, whispered, conjured, and finally claimed him imperiously."
- 4 A flag used to indicate wind direction or, with a knot tied in the center, as a signal; a waif, a wheft.
- 5 A loose noncommittal shot, usually played to a ball pitched short of length and well wide of the off stump. slang
Verb
- 1 To (cause to) float easily or gently through the air. ergative
"A breeze came in through the open window and wafted her sensuous perfume into my eager nostrils."
- 2 be driven or carried along, as by the air wordnet
- 3 To be moved, or to pass, on a buoyant medium; to float. intransitive
"Unhappy Aureng-Zebe is in disgrace; / And your Morat, proclaimed the successor, / Is called, to awe the city with his power. / Those trumpets his triumphant entry tell, / And now the shouts waft near the citadel."
- 4 blow gently wordnet
- 5 To give notice to by waving something; to wave the hand to; to beckon.
"[…] but ſoft: who wafts vs yonder."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
""This more, besides, I charge thee to obey, / if any faith to Helenus be due, / or skill in prophecy the seer display, / and mighty Phoebus hath inspired me true, / these warning words I urge, and oft will urge anew: / Seek Juno first; great Juno's power adore; / with suppliant gifts the potent queen constrain, / and winds shall waft thee to Italia's shore.""
Common questions
What is a synonym for "waft"?
Common synonyms include: air express, airflow, airfreight, airlift, aroma, asportation.
How do you use "waft" in a sentence?
"This more, besides, I charge thee to obey, / if any faith to Helenus be due, / or skill in prophecy the seer display, / and mighty Phoebus hath inspired me true, / these warning words I urge, and oft will urge anew: / Seek Juno first; great Juno's power adore; / with suppliant gifts the potent queen constrain, / and winds shall waft thee to Italia's shore."
How do you pronounce "waft"?
Pronounced /wɑft/.
Etymology
From Middle English waften, of uncertain origin. Possibly from unattested Old English *wafettan, from wafian (“to wave”) + -ettan, or perhaps borrowed from Middle Dutch wachten (“to guard, provide for”). See also German wabern (“to waft”), Faroese veiftra (“to wave”) and Icelandic váfa (“to fluctuate, waver, doubt”).