air

1 of 2

noun

plural airs
1
a
: the mixture of invisible odorless tasteless gases (such as nitrogen and oxygen) that surrounds the earth
also : the equivalent mix of gases on another celestial object (such as a planet)
… the thin, frigid air of Mars. Stefano S. Coledan
b
: a light breeze
c
archaic : breath
2
a(1)
: aircraft
traveling by air
often used before another noun
air travel
(2)
: aviation
often used before another noun
air safety
air rights
(3)
: air force
often used before another noun
air headquarters
b(1)
: the medium of transmission of radio waves
also : radio, television
went on the air
(2)
3
a
: outward appearance of a thing
an air of luxury
b
: a surrounding or pervading influence : atmosphere
an air of mystery
c
: the look, appearance, or bearing of a person especially as expressive of some personal quality or emotion : demeanor
an air of dignity
d
: an artificial or affected manner
put on airs
4
a
: nothingness
usually used in the phrases into thin air and out of thin air
vanished/disappeared into thin air
… nor did any of them seem to have noticed that six people had just melted into thin air in front of them.J. K. Rowling
… jobs can't just be created out of thin air.The Wall Street Journal
b
: empty space
c
old-fashioned : a sudden severance of relations
She gave me the air.
5
[probably translation of Italian aria]
a
: tune, melody
a lilting air
b
: the chief voice part or melody in choral music
c
Elizabethan and Jacobean music : an accompanied song or melody in usually strophic form
6
: an air-conditioning system
a house with central air
7
: public utterance
He gave air to his opinion.
8
: a football offense utilizing primarily the forward pass
Trailing by 20 points, the team took to the air.
9
: the height achieved in performing an aerial maneuver
a snowboarder catching big air
also : the maneuver itself
10
airless adjective
airlessness noun

air

2 of 2

verb

aired; airing; airs

transitive verb

1
: to expose to the air for drying, purifying, or refreshing : ventilate
often used with out
He opened the windows to air out the room.
2
: to expose to public view or bring to public notice
aired their complaints
3
: to transmit by radio or television
air a program

intransitive verb

1
: to become exposed to the open air
The blankets were left outside to air.
2
: to become broadcast
a program that airs daily
Phrases
in the air
: being felt or expressed by many people : in wide circulation
There was a sense of anticipation in the air.
up in the air
: not yet settled
a question that's still up in the air
Choose the Right Synonym for air

Noun

pose, air, airs, affectation, mannerism mean an adopted way of speaking or behaving.

pose implies an attitude deliberately assumed in order to impress others.

her shyness was just a pose

air may suggest natural acquirement through environment or way of life.

a traveler's sophisticated air

airs always implies artificiality and pretentiousness.

snobbish airs

affectation applies to a trick of speech or behavior that strikes the observer as insincere.

the posh accent is an affectation

mannerism applies to an acquired eccentricity that has become a habit.

gesturing with a cigarette was her most noticeable mannerism

Verb

express, vent, utter, voice, broach, air mean to make known what one thinks or feels.

express suggests an impulse to reveal in words, gestures, actions, or what one creates or produces.

expressed her feelings in music

vent stresses a strong inner compulsion to express especially in words.

a tirade venting his frustration

utter implies the use of the voice not necessarily in articulate speech.

utter a groan

voice does not necessarily imply vocal utterance but does imply expression or formulation in words.

an editorial voicing their concerns

broach adds the implication of disclosing for the first time something long thought over or reserved for a suitable occasion.

broached the subject of a divorce

air implies an exposing or parading of one's views often in order to gain relief or sympathy or attention.

publicly airing their differences

Examples of air in a Sentence

Noun These laws are meant to produce cleaner air. A delicious smell filled the air. I like to dine outdoors in the open air. He can't breathe! Everybody move back and give him some air! High in the mountains the air is thin and it can be hard to breathe. He pumped air into the bicycle tire. The city is wonderful seen from the air. the fish of the sea and the birds of the air The balloon rose up into the air and then floated through the air. There has been heavy fighting on the ground and in the air. Verb The blankets were left outside to air. She opened the windows to air the room. The company had a meeting so that employees could air their complaints. The interview will be aired tomorrow. The interview will air tomorrow.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Canada dealt with that by trying to keep the ball in the air, with the 5-foot-11 Huitema, her team’s tallest player, going high to head in an Ashley Lawrence cross for the game-tying goal in the 82nd minute, sending the game to extra time. Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 This isn’t the first time Lazzarini has experimented with combining sea and air transport. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 7 Mar. 2024 The next episode airs Wednesday, Feb. 13 at 8 p.m. EST/PST on CBS and Paramount+. Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024 The Academy Awards ceremony will, however, be back on air in the former colony of Hong Kong, along with most major countries and territories around the globe. Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024 When will the series finale of 'Young Sheldon' air? Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2024 There appeared to be no problems with air quality aside from the smoke drifting from the fire, Duncan said. arkansasonline.com, 6 Mar. 2024 On February 3, 2023 a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, a small town near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border, sending more than a million pounds of hazardous chemicals into the soil, water and air. Chris Isidore, CNN, 6 Mar. 2024 But rather than cower in fear, there’s a confident air about each of them. Jenna Wang, Peoplemag, 24 Feb. 2024
Verb
Around the time the documentary aired, Warner sued Wood for defamation, distress, and allegedly impersonating the FBI. Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 8 Mar. 2024 The 96th Academy Awards will then air live from 7 p.m. ET, using the ABC feed. Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024 Grisham has aired allegations of intimidation since the early days of the recall effort. Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2024 With a leading 13 nominations, Nolan's atomic bomb thriller rolls into the 96th Oscars ceremony (airing live on ABC, 7 p.m. EDT/4 PDT) as a heavy favorite to pick up some serious hardware, from below-the-line categories to the big-deal races like best actor, supporting actor and picture. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024 Wright and Kelly Monaco helped make the big announcement about his return in a pre-recorded clip that aired during the final moments of ABC's primetime special General Hospital: 60 Years of Stars & Storytelling. Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024 The new programs will air weeknights ahead of simulcasts of live sports coverage airing on Warner Bros. Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 The four-part series will air Sunday April 7 and Sunday April 14,both at 9 p.m. eastern, with two hours broadcast each evening. Brian Steinberg, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024 However, before audiences fell in love with the entire Cooper family, they were introduced to adult Sheldon through Jim Parsons on The Big Bang Theory, which aired for 12 seasons from 2007 to 2019. Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 6 Mar. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin aer, from Greek aēr air

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1530, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of air was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near air

Cite this Entry

“Air.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/air. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

air

1 of 2 noun
ˈa(ə)r How to pronounce air (audio)
ˈe(ə)r
1
a
: the invisible mixture of odorless tasteless gases (as nitrogen and oxygen) that surrounds the earth
b
: a light breeze
2
: the state of being empty or nothing
usually used in the phrase into thin air
vanished into thin air
3
4
a
: outward appearance
an air of mystery
b
plural : an artificial way of acting
put on airs
5
: compressed air
put air in a tire
6
a
: aircraft
travel by air
b
: aviation
air safety
7
a
: the substance through which radio waves travel
b
: a radio or television broadcast
went on the air
8
: an air-conditioning system
turn on the air
9
: the height achieved in performing a maneuver in the air
a snowboarder catching big air

air

2 of 2 verb
1
: to place in the air for cooling, freshening, or cleaning
air blankets
2
: to make known in public
air one's complaints
3
: to broadcast on radio or television

Medical Definition

: a mixture of invisible odorless tasteless sound-transmitting gases that is composed by volume chiefly of 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen, 0.9 percent argon, 0.03 percent carbon dioxide, varying amounts of water vapor, and minute amounts of rare gases (as helium), that surrounds the earth with half its mass within four miles of the earth's surface, that has a pressure at sea level of about 14.7 pounds per square inch, and that has a density of 1.293 grams per liter at 0°C and 760 mm pressure

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