hot air

noun

Definition of hot airnext
1
as in rhetoric
boastful speech or writing his taking credit for the rescue was mostly hot air, since the boat was actually saved by the Coast Guard

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2
as in wind
language that is impressive-sounding but not meaningful or sincere her campaign promise to "fight for the people" showed a taste for stale hot air

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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 hot air The cake, which was custom-made by The Cake Girl, had three tiers designed to look like a night sky with gold stars and moons, light blue and white clouds and small hot air balloons. — Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026 Though wildfires are often associated with the West Coast’s dry summers, climate change is putting more and more places at risk of wildfires as increasingly hot air sucks moisture from forests. — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 3 Aug. 2026 As daylight faded, visitors explored inside the grand hall and wandered the gardens before the night ended with hot air balloon rides and fireworks over the property. — Sophia Buonpane, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026 The National Weather Service says the high-pressure system will continue to pump hot air from the east into the atmosphere. — Chelsea Hylton, CBS News, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for hot air
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hot air
  1. rhetoric
  2. gasconade
  3. brag
  4. chatter
  5. magniloquence
  6. rant
Noun
  • The ad led Democratic and Republican House leadership to condemn the antisemitic rhetoric targeting Fine.
    — Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Republicans who claim that democratic socialists are like communists are either misinformed or deliberately using misleading rhetoric for political advantage.
    — Tom Zirpoli, Baltimore Sun, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of rhetoric
Noun
  • His early career was marked by the sort of gasconade many fans of the NFL had come to adore and many MLB executives and players had come to loathe.
    — Robert Klemko, The MMQB, 13 July 2017
Definition of gasconade
Noun
  • Harvind Singh, the CEO of a consulting engineering firm in Chicago, didn't start keeping a brag log until mid-career.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 21 July 2026
  • But not even Footer’s thorough sleuthing has unearthed much more than Bradley’s brag.
    — Brian Seibert, New Yorker, 13 May 2026
Definition of brag
Noun
  • That was Gardner’s first game with the Colts after being acquired from the New York Jets, and while Indy pulled out the OT victory, Gardner was still annoyed by some of the social media chatter afterward.
    — James Boyd, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • For all the chatter about the Georgia wide receiver position this month, Kirby Smart notes that success for that group can’t be self-made.
    — Connor Riley, AJC.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of chatter
Noun
  • Hammy magniloquence risks alienating viewers, not just for an evening but for life, as does obscurity.
    — The Economist, The Economist, 15 Mar. 2018
Definition of magniloquence
Noun
  • Pay attention to the angry rant from last week about the missing coffee maker, but ignore the five-star review from 2019.
    — Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
  • But then there was a twist in Williams’ thinking, as the eight-minute bathroom rant continued.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of rant

Browse Nearby Words

hot
hot air
hotbed
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Cite this Entry

“Hot air.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hot%20air. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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