drafty
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- draftily adverb
- draftiness noun
Etymology
Origin of drafty
Explanation
If you can feel a chilly breeze in your bedroom even though the windows are closed, the room is drafty. Drafty spaces tend to make you shiver and grab an extra sweater. The adjective drafty comes from draft, which meant "drawing or pulling" before it also came to mean "flow of a current of air." You'll most often find drafty describing rooms, buildings, and other enclosed spaces, like drafty tents, drafty schools, and drafty offices. In Britain, the spelling of this word reflects the way people used to pronounce it: draughty.
Vocabulary lists containing drafty
New Kid
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Skin I'm In
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Magician's Nephew
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
So Marchiano, who also lacks the budget to replace drafty old windows, avoids the colder rooms.
From Barron's • Jan. 22, 2026
If you’re not sure about moving to this big, old, drafty pile, say no.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 21, 2026
"It's going to want that warmth, it's not going to want to be in a drafty spot," he says - but they should be kept out of direct sunlight.
From BBC • Jan. 14, 2026
They now live full time with their two children in a beautiful, drafty 1829 farmhouse.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025
The common room was long and drafty, with a row of huge wooden kegs at one end and a fireplace at the other.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
