waft

American  

[waft, wahft] / wæft, wɑft /

verb (used with object)

wafts, present (3rd person singular) wafted, past participle, past wafting present participle

1. to carry lightly and smoothly through the air or over water.

   The gentle breeze wafted the sound of music to our ears.

2. to send or convey lightly, as if in flight.

   The actress wafted kisses to her admirers in the audience.

3. Obsolete. to signal to, summon, or direct by waving.

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verb (used without object)

wafts, present (3rd person singular) wafted, past participle, past wafting present participle

1. to float or be carried, especially through the air.

   The sound wafted on the breeze. The music wafted across the lake.

noun

1. a sound, odor, etc., faintly perceived.

   a waft of perfume.

2. a wafting movement; light current or gust.

   a waft of air.

3. the act of wafting.

4. Nautical. Also a signal given by waving a flag.

waft British  

/ wɒft, wɑːft /

verb

1. to carry or be carried gently on or as if on the air or water

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noun

1. the act or an instance of wafting

2. something, such as a scent, carried on the air

3. a wafting motion

4. Also called: waif.  nautical (formerly) a signal flag hoisted furled to signify various messages depending on where it was flown

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• wafter
  noun
• unwafted
  adjective
• waftage
  noun

Conjugated Forms

Present

• has wafted
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have wafted
  perfect
• are wafting
  progressive
• am wafting
  progressive 1st person singular
• have been wafting
  perfect progressive
• is wafting
  progressive 3rd person singular
• wafting
  participle
• has been wafting
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• wafts
  singular 3rd person

Past

• had wafted
  perfect
• was wafting
  progressive singular
• were wafting
  progressive plural
• had been wafting
  perfect progressive
• wafted
  simple
• wafted
  participle

Future

• will waft
  simple
• will have wafted
  perfect
• will be wafting
  progressive
• will have been wafting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of waft

1535–45; back formation from late Middle English waughter armed escort vessel < Dutch or Low German wachter watchman; in some senses confused with waff

Explanation

When your grandmother cooks her famous spaghetti sauce, many wonderful smells may waft from the kitchen. In other words, the air will gently carry this familiar aroma throughout the house. Though the verb waft usually involves movement through air, it has watery roots. A "wafter" was a convoy ship in the 16th century, and these words may have derived from the similar looking wave. Waft can refer to scents, sounds, and even smoke. So, if your grandmother’s sauce begins to burn, smoke could waft from the kitchen as well.

Example Sentences

Equipment makers are developing machines that are more energy-efficient, and ventilation systems that waft aroma through the lobby—an old-school marketing tactic that still does the trick.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026

On Thursday, in one over from Scott Boland, he was hit by a bouncer, almost pinned lbw and missed with a wild waft reminiscent of the second of those Brisbane brain fades.

From BBC • Dec. 18, 2025

With movement, their vertical skirt layers waft open, like the turning pages of a book.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 11, 2025

Singaporean poet Hsien Min Toh's poem, Durians, opens by referring to the fruit's "unmistakeable waft: like garbage and onions and liquid petroleum gas all mixed in one".

From Salon • Jul. 22, 2024

Cold air and the waft of a comforting smell blast me in my face.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

Related Words

• drift
• float