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
Hosted by Tituss Burgess and Laura Benanti, that earlier ceremony airs on the free network Pluto TV. Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 4 June 2026 Game 2 of the NBA Finals takes place Friday, June 5, in San Antonio and airs on ESPN. Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 4 June 2026 No airs and entirely unassuming. Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 3 June 2026 The show airs on ABC and can be streamed on Hulu. Melina Khan, USA Today, 2 June 2026 Paton didn’t name those in negotiations for Season 2 or their potential involvement but said AiMation Studios has big plans for the show that airs on YouTube and streaming platform AiMation. Max Goldbart, Deadline, 2 June 2026 The planning phase is especially important since the show films in real time and airs with a one to two-day delay. Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 1 June 2026 His full interview with Connelly airs Monday on ABC's Good Morning America. Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 29 May 2026 The show, which follows Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler moving to the fictional South Texas town of Rio Paloma, premiered May 15 and airs Fridays on Paramount+ and the Paramount Network. Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 May 2026
Verb
The station airs Oceanside’s City Council and various commission meetings, and reports on local events. Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2026 The decision to launch Allen’s show in Colbert’s time slot on a Friday was surprising, because none of the current crop of late-night programs airs originals regularly on Fridays, meaning the audience does not regularly tune to them in typical numbers. Brian Steinberg, Variety, 29 May 2026 Graham Platner, Maine’s presumptive Democratic Senate nominee, began Memorial Day weekend by releasing an ad on the cable station that airs Boston Red Sox games accusing team owners of ruining the storied franchise. Patrick Whittle, Fortune, 26 May 2026 The Summer House reunion will show on Bravo, which is where the series normally airs. Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 24 May 2026 The teaser trailer opens with Cooke and Lindsay Hubbard giving their shocked reactions to Batula and Wilson’s public statement about their romance, which came in March after cameras stopped rolling on the 10th season, which airs its finale tonight. Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 19 May 2026 That report shows the amount of money spent on sportsbook television advertising is down from a peak in 2021 and the industry airs far fewer commercials than the pharmaceutical sector. Luke Connors, Washington Post, 19 May 2026 Louis-Dreyfus' Wiser Than Me podcast, from Lemonada Media, airs new episodes on Wednesdays. Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026 The series is set to wrap its 50th season when the finale airs Wednesday, May 20. Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 12 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for airs
Noun
  • On a year-to-date basis, the rupee has fallen by more than 6%, LSEG data shows.
    Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 5 June 2026
  • The show is still using some of those songs, giving the score’s relationship to the script a half-in, half-out near-jukebox feeling.
    Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 5 June 2026
Verb
  • Alongside the songstress, other attendees included main cast Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack and Greta Lee, who voices main antagonist Lilypad in the film.
    Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 9 June 2026
  • Johnny Yong Bosch voices Dante, Robbie Daymond is Dante’s nephew Vergil, and Scout Taylor-Compton voices Lady on the TV series.
    Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 4 June 2026
Noun
  • The owner, Kenneth Howell has been locked in an acrimonious battle with the city of Boise for years, after Boise staff raised concerns over temporary shoring posts bowing under the building’s weight and a crumbling facade, among other safety issues staff highlighted.
    Darin Oswald, Idaho Statesman, 3 June 2026
  • The record of my thinking is right there in the open, teaching me tolerance for my fumbling, training me not to hide my struggle behind a seamless façade of digital perfection.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 June 2026
Verb
  • The successful bipartisan vote, while largely symbolic, sends a strong message to the administration and expresses the sentiment of the lower chamber.
    Lauren Peller, ABC News, 3 June 2026
  • This article expresses the opinions of the author and is not to be taken as advice to purchase from or invest in the companies mentioned.
    Karl Freund, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Noun
  • For all the Court’s pretenses—all of its insistence on the rule of law, precedent, and good faith—many critics and supporters of the Roberts Court see the institution as an appendage of the Republican Party.
    Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 5 June 2026
  • Garcia-Hernandez was arrested on charges of theft of an elder adult, obtaining money by false pretenses, and attempted grand theft, along with an out-of-county warrant.
    Kassia Bonesteel, CBS News, 4 June 2026
Verb
  • Visiting North Korea gives Xi another chance to show himself as an agile powerbroker able to engage a diverse cast of leaders, from the chief of the world’s most powerful democracy to an autocrat with a sanctions-defying weapons regime.
    Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 9 June 2026
  • Made of flowy polyester, this short-sleeve, above-the-knee A-line dress gives major bohemian vibes.
    BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026
Noun
  • And that came in the guise of a serious illness that threatens — but then ends up solidifying — the unbreakable bond between Deborah (Jean Smart) and her protégé, Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder), something that has been built up over the course of five seasons.
    Michael Schneider, Variety, 29 May 2026
  • Dwayne Johnson is a confident guy and has donned any number of ridiculous guises during his Saturday Night Live hosting gigs over the years.
    Jesse Hassenger, Entertainment Weekly, 28 May 2026
Verb
  • The petition states that Nick Reiner still wants Jackson to represent him, and that Jackson is still willing to do so if funds can be obtained.
    Gene Maddaus, Variety, 10 June 2026
  • The industry kickstarted in Wisconsin in the 1830s, and the state had nearly 160 breweries by the Civil War, the organization states.
    USA TODAY Network, USA Today, 10 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Airs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/airs. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.

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