hot air

noun

: empty talk

Example Sentences

She's full of hot air. his taking credit for the rescue was mostly hot air, since the boat was actually saved by the Coast Guard
Recent Examples on the Web Previous winter coverageA bunch of hot air? John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 21 Mar. 2023 Not much came out but hot air. Helena Andrews-dyer, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2023 Solar or wind energy is converted into hot air, which keeps the sand at a temperature of 500 degrees Celsius (932 degrees Fahrenheit). Erika Page, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Nov. 2022 Spinning vortex of hot air, gases and embers that rises rapidly from an intense wildfire and can carry smoke, debris and flames hundreds of feet into the atmosphere. Mark Fischetti, Scientific American, 11 Nov. 2022 Tucked under the lid is a thick rubber gasket, which seals out hot air. Sal Vaglica, WSJ, 9 Aug. 2022 Overall though, there was less hot air this season. Laird Borrelli-persson, Vogue, 15 Mar. 2023 Sure, the scorching heat led to some real issues, but most of the commentary is only hot air that will cool with the fall. Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Sep. 2022 Some of these talking points are hot air. Samuel Goldman, The Week, 11 May 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hot 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

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hot air was in 1873

Dictionary Entries Near hot air

Cite this Entry

“Hot air.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hot%20air. Accessed 27 May. 2023.

Kids Definition

hot air

noun
: empty talk

More from Merriam-Webster on hot air

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!