Waif
noun
A homeless and helpless person, especially a neglected or abandoned child.
She looked after the waif she found in the streets.
Often appears as...
- street waif
- poor waif
noun
An unclaimed or ownerless object, especially a piece of wreckage.
The court declared the boat a waif after its owner could not be found.
Often appears as...
- legal waif
- waif of the sea
Usage tips
Formal
Technical
noun
A thin, frail, or undernourished person or animal.
He was a waif of a man, barely reaching 100 pounds.
Often appears as...
- skinny waif
- gaunt waif
Usage tips
Disapproving
noun
A person who appears fragile or slight, especially a model perceived as having an innocent or vulnerable appearance.
She moved with the grace of a waif, fragile but beautiful.
Often appears as...
- fashion waif
- runway waif
Usage tips
Technical
noun
A homeless and helpless person, especially a neglected or abandoned child.
She looked after the waif she found in the streets.
Often appears as...
- street waif
- poor waif
noun
An unclaimed or ownerless object, especially a piece of wreckage.
The court declared the boat a waif after its owner could not be found.
Often appears as...
- legal waif
- waif of the sea
Usage tips
Formal
Technical
noun
A thin, frail, or undernourished person or animal.
He was a waif of a man, barely reaching 100 pounds.
Often appears as...
- skinny waif
- gaunt waif
Usage tips
Disapproving
noun
A person who appears fragile or slight, especially a model perceived as having an innocent or vulnerable appearance.
She moved with the grace of a waif, fragile but beautiful.
Often appears as...
- fashion waif
- runway waif
Usage tips
Technical
Definition 1 of 4
Pro Tip 1/3Empathy Context
Used to evoke a sense of pity or protective feelings towards someone vulnerable.
The photographer depicted the plight of the city waifs.
Pro Tip 2/3Victorian Literature
Commonly encountered in Victorian novels to emphasize child poverty.
Oliver Twist is often described as a waif.
Pro Tip 3/3Neutral Tone
While evoking sympathy, 'waif' is a neutral term and not an insult.
Charities often help waifs find new homes.
Compare with
castawayfoundlinghomelessneglectorphanstrayvagrant
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Video examples
Poor Abandoned Baby...
in fact the adults do have a strong instinct to protect chicks so much so that birds that have not managed to breed will try to take possession of a stray or abandoned chick but this fostering never succeeds because the adult has no partner to help in rearing the waif
Video examples
Poor Abandoned Baby...
in fact the adults do have a strong instinct to protect chicks so much so that birds that have not managed to breed will try to take possession of a stray or abandoned chick but this fostering never succeeds because the adult has no partner to help in rearing the waif
Example 1 of 1
Quote examples
Tina Brown
American Editor
With so many part-time people on - and not on - the job, corporate America has started to feel like it's on a permanent maternity leave. Colleagues are an amorphous, free-floating army of rotating waifs whose voicemails are clogged with plaintive requests from their own offices for missing information.
Quote examples
Chrissy Teigen
American Model
I feel badly for those girls who have to be so waif thin, doing those catwalks all the time because, luckily, we're going into a different time - that's what they're saying, at least - in we're appreciating a curvier figure. But to be honest, I couldn't be like an hourglass if I tried.
Quote examples
Rita Tushingham
English Actress
People always say, 'Oh, you've played a lot of waifs... ' but they were just girls. It's just that a lot of those everyday characters had never been on the screen before. I do hope I didn't get typed. I feel myself that I tried to do different things with those women.
Quote examples
Paul Marciano
American Designer
When the waif look first came into fashion, Anna Nicole Smith was in the Guess campaigns looking like a real woman. A girl who looks too thin and unhealthy does not look sexy to me, and she does not look right for Guess.
Quote examples
Sophie Dahl
English Model
I still don't know what the 'ideal' woman is. Waifs will always be in demand because it's a lot easier to design for straight up and down rather than round curves. This is the reality, unfortunately.
Quote examples
John Harvey Kellogg
American Businessman
The Lord did not bless us with any children of our own, so we gathered up little waifs whom we thought would be neglected and would not be cared for unless we brought them into our family.
Quote examples
Tommy Hilfiger
American Designer
My mother was kind and forgiving and would take in all the waifs and strays in our neighbourhood; we always compared her to Mother Teresa. She taught me a lot.
Quote examples
Jaimie Alexander
American Actress
I will never be a waif. I want to market myself as a healthy-looking woman who is an action-star kind of girl.
Quote examples
Steve Bruce
English Manager
It's not always about money, we got Hull promoted with a collection of loans and waifs and strays.
Quote examples
Joely Fisher
American Actress
I've never been a waif; I have a womanly figure and always did.
Quote examples
Tina Brown
American Editor
With so many part-time people on - and not on - the job, corporate America has started to feel like it's on a permanent maternity leave. Colleagues are an amorphous, free-floating army of rotating waifs whose voicemails are clogged with plaintive requests from their own offices for missing information.
Quote examples
Chrissy Teigen
American Model
I feel badly for those girls who have to be so waif thin, doing those catwalks all the time because, luckily, we're going into a different time - that's what they're saying, at least - in we're appreciating a curvier figure. But to be honest, I couldn't be like an hourglass if I tried.
Quote examples
Rita Tushingham
English Actress
People always say, 'Oh, you've played a lot of waifs... ' but they were just girls. It's just that a lot of those everyday characters had never been on the screen before. I do hope I didn't get typed. I feel myself that I tried to do different things with those women.
Quote examples
Paul Marciano
American Designer
When the waif look first came into fashion, Anna Nicole Smith was in the Guess campaigns looking like a real woman. A girl who looks too thin and unhealthy does not look sexy to me, and she does not look right for Guess.
Quote examples
Sophie Dahl
English Model
I still don't know what the 'ideal' woman is. Waifs will always be in demand because it's a lot easier to design for straight up and down rather than round curves. This is the reality, unfortunately.
Quote examples
John Harvey Kellogg
American Businessman
The Lord did not bless us with any children of our own, so we gathered up little waifs whom we thought would be neglected and would not be cared for unless we brought them into our family.
Quote examples
Tommy Hilfiger
American Designer
My mother was kind and forgiving and would take in all the waifs and strays in our neighbourhood; we always compared her to Mother Teresa. She taught me a lot.
Quote examples
Jaimie Alexander
American Actress
I will never be a waif. I want to market myself as a healthy-looking woman who is an action-star kind of girl.
Quote examples
Steve Bruce
English Manager
It's not always about money, we got Hull promoted with a collection of loans and waifs and strays.
Quote examples
Joely Fisher
American Actress
I've never been a waif; I have a womanly figure and always did.
Example 1 of 10
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