waif

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.

The day after she and her husband, Jack, sculpt the figure of a child out of snow, an ethereal waif emerges from the wilderness.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

The trial heard him described as a "ruffian" and a "street waif" who never stood still.

From BBC • Jan. 27, 2025

“She was not just a little waif blowing in the wind,” Judge Jackson said.

From New York Times • Mar. 23, 2023

“She’s not some little waif blowing in the wind,” Jackson said.

From Washington Post • Mar. 23, 2023

Kira remembered the power of the singing voice that she had heard, and marveled that it had come from this tiny, frightened waif of a thing.

From "Gathering Blue" by Lois Lowry