airs 1 of 2

plural of air

airs

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of air

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun airs contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of airs are affectation, air, mannerism, and pose. While all these words mean "an adopted way of speaking or behaving," airs always implies artificiality and pretentiousness.

snobbish airs

Where would affectation be a reasonable alternative to airs?

The meanings of affectation and airs largely overlap; however, affectation applies to a trick of speech or behavior that strikes the observer as insincere.

the posh accent is an affectation

In what contexts can air take the place of airs?

In some situations, the words air and airs are roughly equivalent. However, air may suggest natural acquirement through environment or way of life.

a traveler's sophisticated air

When could mannerism be used to replace airs?

The words mannerism and airs can be used in similar contexts, but mannerism applies to an acquired eccentricity that has become a habit.

gesturing with a cigarette was her most noticeable mannerism

When might pose be a better fit than airs?

While the synonyms pose and airs are close in meaning, pose implies an attitude deliberately assumed in order to impress others.

her shyness was just a pose

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of airs
Noun
The show will be available to stream with a regular Hulu subscription on Sunday, the day after a new episode airs. Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 26 Oct. 2025 The Drew Barrymore Show airs weekdays on CBS. Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025 Contestants cannot have public social media accounts Social media accounts are set to private to prevent any spoilers leaking before the show airs. Jane Lacroix, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025 Sportico Sports Business Presented by Genius Sports airs monthly on the YES Network and the Gotham Sports App. Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 22 Oct. 2025 Dancing with the Stars airs live Tuesdays on ABC and Disney+, and streams the next day on Hulu. Lars Brandle, Billboard, 22 Oct. 2025 Its importance to the BBC is underscored by the fact that the corporation is using the series to promote a raft of other content before each episode airs. Jake Kanter, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2025 NetflixThis is exactly one week after the finale airs on Wednesday, October 22. Griff Griffin, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025 Episodes will be live and on-demand for Paramount+ Premium plan subscribers, while Paramount+ Essential subscribers will have to wait until the day after the episode airs. Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
What Happens Next Dancing With the Stars will continue on Tuesday night and has a few weeks left until the finale, which airs on November 25. Jenni Fink, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025 The Kardashians airs Thursdays on Hulu. Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025 Mark Shapiro wants to find out, the TKO president said in an interview for the latest episode of Sportico Sports Business Presented by Genius Sports, which airs on YES Network and the Gotham Sports app. Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 22 Oct. 2025 The new season airs Fridays on CBS. Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Oct. 2025 Its unexpected demise made MultiChoice’s show, which airs on M-Net’s Msanzi Magic channel, even more critical. Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2025 Dorcaz was preparing to appear for the first time on the dancing reality show Las Estrellas Bailan en Hoy, which airs on Monday. Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 11 Oct. 2025 That channel airs popular reality series, including Naked Dating UK and Geordie Shore. Nick Reilly, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2025 The new documentary series, Breakthrough Women in Science and Medicine, a new documentary series from the American Medical Women’s Association and Capital Media Group that airs on PBS, is all about brilliant women scientists who are pushing their respective fields forward. Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 3 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for airs
Noun
  • Those wanting to stream the show live can do so with a Peacock premium subscription or stream new episodes the next day with a basic Peacock subscription.
    Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 26 Oct. 2025
  • The pregame show has room to improve.
    Andrew Marchand, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Ford then provided a link to a Reagan speech where the late president voices opposition to tariffs.
    Rob Gillies, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Halo Studios also invited lead actors Steve Downes (who voices Master Chief) and Jen Taylor (Cortana) to re-record all of their voice lines from the game, some of which have been slightly adjusted to strengthen the story.
    Alyssa Mercante, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • On Monday, The Washington Post reported that his construction crews have begun demolishing the facade of the White House’s East Wing to build a ballroom.
    Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2025
  • On Wednesday, the team announced the creation of a new way to evaluate the performance of photoactive materials for semi-transparent organic photovoltaics (ST-OPVs), which could transform how energy is harvested through everyday surfaces like windows, screens, and facades.
    Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Dietzen also frequently posts with his wife of two decades and expresses his gratitude for her as a mother.
    Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Sharing our thoughts and prayers after a mass shooting expresses our grief and compassion as human beings.
    Scott Peters, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Workers in the scam compounds are often trafficked from third countries, usually under the pretense of a lucrative job offer, and then forced to scam people online with investment pitches or romantic ploys.
    Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2025
  • All of Beaton’s extravagance, artifice and pretence stemmed from him trying to become something he was never born into.
    Hikmat Mohammed, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Article 1 of the Constitution specifically gives Congress the power to declare war.
    Brian Bennett, Time, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Billed as an action crime drama, which gives a magical realism twist to a real-life figure.
    John Hopewell, Variety, 28 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Several actors donned the iconic guise of Ghostface in the Scream franchise, but one of the most intriguing is Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) in the original film.
    Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025
  • In this guise, Saverino is breathless with excitement.
    Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The June 2025 Social Security and Medicare trustees’ report states that Social Security’s trust funds, which cover old age and disability recipients, will be unable to pay full benefits beginning in 2034.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2025
  • The federal indictment states that the charge makes Brown eligible for the death penalty.
    Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Airs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/airs. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.

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