waft
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waft
- /wɑft/ Canada, US
- /wɒft/ UK
- /wɔft/ Australia, New Zealand
- /wɑːft/ UK, dated
- /wæft/ Canada, US, regional
Rhymes with -ɒft
Where it comes from
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”).
verb wafts · wafting · wafted · wheft
-
To (cause to) float easily or gently through the air.
A breeze came in through the open window and wafted her sensuous perfume into my eager nostrils.
Similar: breathe
- To be moved, or to pass, on a buoyant medium; to float. 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.
- To give notice to by waving something; to wave the hand to; to beckon. […] but ſoft: who wafts vs yonder.
noun wafts · wheft
- A light breeze. It lay before him white and ghaistly, with mist blowing in wafts across it and a slow swaying of the tides.
- 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.
- A flag used to indicate wind direction or, with a knot tied in the center, as a signal; a waif, a wheft.
- A loose noncommittal shot, usually played to a ball pitched short of length and well wide of the off stump.
Translations
Every language
verb to float easily and gently on the air
| Español | revolotear, levitar |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | treiben, wehen, wallen, wabern, streichen, umwehen |
| Русский | дуть dutʹ, доноси́ться donosítʹsja |
verb to be moved on a buoyant medium
| Español | flotar, levitar, esparcirse |
|---|---|
| Português | flutuar |
| Deutsch | schweben, schwimmen, treiben, dahinsegeln |
verb to give notice to by waving something
| Español | señalizar |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | signalisieren, senden, aussenden, fortsenden, winken |
Talk about this word "waft." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/waft. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. waft. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/waft "waft." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/waft.Cite this
@misc{waft_2026,
title = {waft},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/waft},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
