gasbag

noun

gas·​bag ˈgas-ˌbag How to pronounce gasbag (audio)
1
: a bag for holding gas
2
informal : an idle or garrulous talker

Examples of gasbag in a Sentence

that gasbag will talk your ear off about anything
Recent Examples on the Web Such a windup suggested that a rerun of their infamous 2020 debate was coming, with Trump casting himself in the role, once again, of rogue gasbag. Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 28 June 2024 Trump, now with the gasbag winds from TV commentary at his back, may indeed win the nomination in 2024. Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 6 June 2023 The impact detonated the 5.5 million cubic feet of highly flammable hydrogen in the airship’s 15 gasbags. Dominic Green, wsj.com, 27 Apr. 2023 At one time, though, Jack was delighted to be tolerated among the philosophers and essayists, going so far as to marry Judy, the sophisticated daughter of a once-famous, still precious, self-enamored gasbag named Howard (Larry Pine). New York Times, 7 July 2021 Don’t feel bad if the answer is no, because in a crowded field, money and name recognition are hard to come by, giving the incumbent gasbag a big advantage. Steve Lopezcolumnist, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2022 This propulsive focus led to his long, gasbag sentences, ballooned to maximize the present, but also to crowd out any thought of past obligations or future consequences. Connor Goodwin, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2020 There’s a portrait of Balfour and Chamberlain, masters of Imperial Britain but at that moment slouching on the front bench of the House, listening to a gasbag. Brian T. Allen, National Review, 14 Mar. 2020 Howard Scott, a Greenwich Village gasbag, seized the moment to push his philosophy of technocracy. Philip Delves Broughton, WSJ, 23 June 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gasbag.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of gasbag was in 1819

Dictionary Entries Near gasbag

Cite this Entry

“Gasbag.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gasbag. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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