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
BravesVision’s an option for all three, but Tuesday’s game simulcasts on your local Gray TV station and Thursday’s also airs on FS1. — Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 18 Sep. 2026 Hosted by Claudia Winkleman, the new series premieres on October 1 and October 2 on BBC 1 and airs twice a week. — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026 Unlike with FanDuel, there currently are no plans for WPLG re-airs the day following games. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026 Maria Bartiromo’s Wall Street, the journalist’s other show which airs on Friday evenings, was also renamed. — Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2026 Lainey Wilson will return to the role of CMA Awards host when Country Music’s Biggest Night airs live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on November 18. — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2026 It’s long ceased to be a neighborhood that puts on airs, an attitude that liberates us all tonight. — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Sep. 2026 Discourse in the group continues long after the show airs, with members keeping up with the contestants from past seasons via social media and clamoring for details about their lives. — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026 Channels, Streaming Services NCAA football airs across a host of networks and accompanying streaming services (both live TV streamers and on-demand services). — Erin Lassner, HollywoodReporter, 29 Aug. 2026
Verb
His studio, The Devil’s Workshop, is located in Berwyn, a town that’s also a running gag on Svengoolie’s show, which airs Saturday nights on MeTV. — Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026 Hansen will appear in an ad that airs exclusively before screenings of the film, directing audiences to check out his true-crime network, TruBlu. — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026 Moreno is mum about what transpired at the reunion, which airs on Monday, August 31, but says that Dean approached her in the hallway to clear the air. — Paula Mejía, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026 The popular reality program that airs three times a week on CBS is a one-of-a-kind social experiment where 16 strangers are locked in a house together for the summer. — Matt Minton, Variety, 24 Aug. 2026 For $6/month, viewers can watch all out-of-market live preseason action on NFL+, unless the game airs on a national network, as is the case Thursday night when ESPN covers Fernando Mendoza and the Las Vegas Raiders’ trip to play the Houston Texans. — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 20 Aug. 2026 The series airs every Tuesday evening and then streams after that. — Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2026 The combat and self-defense competition series, which airs on YouTube and across social media has generated 150M views online and has run for three seasons. — Peter White, Deadline, 17 July 2026 The new episode of Most Extreme Humans airs Wednesday, July 15 at 9 pm ET/PT on TLC. — Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for airs
Noun
  • For his first resort show since being named creative director of Chanel in 2024, Blazy chose Biarritz, another French coastal town with historic ties to the label’s founder.
    — Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Madonna performed for the first time in 23 years at the MTV VMAs on Sunday, opening the show by bringing out special guests Sabrina Carpenter and Charli xcx to perform their respective duets.
    — Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 28 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Larson headlined the Apple TV+’s Lessons in Chemistry, earning Emmy, SAG, Critics Choice, and Golden Globe nominations, and voices Rosalina in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Vasarhelyi, seemingly a less hands-on presence in this project, voices a few more misgivings, at one stage pointedly asking her husband how many people who have previously been guests at their dinner table are now dead.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Lourdes Bishop Jean-Marc Micas in 2025 decided to cover the facade of the Notre Dame du Rosaire Basilica, reasoning that abuse victims who come to Lourdes for healing shouldn’t be forced to see them.
    — Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Lourdes Bishop Jean-Marc Micas in 2025 decided cover the façade of the Notre Dame du Rosaire Basilica, reasoning that abuse victims who come to Lourdes for healing shouldn’t be forced to see them.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • According to recent survey data from polling firm Forsa, merely 11% of the German public currently expresses satisfaction with his performance in office.
    — , CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Sharman jumped at the chance, was the good teammate and still expresses appreciation to Hawkins.
    — Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Conference expansion has shattered pretenses to regional coherence.
    — Geraldo L. Cadava, The Atlantic, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Cinematic pretense and the kinds political leaders and media personalities use to sell ideas are often one and the same.
    — Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 14 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • That behavior gives engineers a way to control how a material stores and releases electrical energy.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Most of those steps have been blocked by various courts, in part because the Constitution gives states and Congress the authority to set election rules, but provides no such power to the president.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • As critics such as Antonio Candido have remarked, regionalism was at bottom an attempt to render Latin American reality in its dominant rural guise.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Throughout the weekend, Dudamel embraced the worlds of Hollywood, Latin music in many guises and old-fashioned rock.
    — Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Nothing states that Sanon had any role in, or knowledge of, any loan application, loan proceeds or broker, his lawyers argue in the new filings.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The motion filed last week also states the captain has a history of serious abuse at other federal prisons.
    — Jim DeFede, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Airs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/airs. Accessed 28 Sep. 2026.

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