vaporware
noun
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The practice of marketing products before they are available for sale is common to many industries, but especially the computer industry, where technological advancement is rapid and competition cutthroat. Unforeseen glitches occasionally result in the marketing of products that ultimately never see the light of day. Since the 1980s, such phantom computer products have been referred to by the word vaporware, which is modeled after familiar computer terms such as software and hardware. The word plays on the humorous notion of vapors being equated with rumors surrounding the development of a product that appears to be on its way but that never actually materializes.
Examples of vaporware in a Sentence
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 15 Jan. 2026
Today, Ballie is confirmed to be facing an eternity as vaporware.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 7 Jan. 2026
At this stage, Bessent’s suggestion that private investors will step in to meet the funding gap is mere vaporware.
—John Cassidy, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
By fast-tracking these stocks’ public debuts, the Trumps are attempting to prove that these are real companies—legitimate assets backed by the fundamentals, rather than vaporware.
—Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vaporware
Cite this Entry
“Vaporware.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vaporware. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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vaporware
noun
