air

1 of 2

noun

ˈer 

plural airs

1

a

: the mixture of invisible odorless tasteless gases (such as nitrogen and oxygen) that surrounds the earth

also : the equivalent mix of gases on another celestial object (such as a planet)

… the thin, frigid air of Mars.

—Stefano S. Coledan

b

: a light breeze

c

archaic : breath

2

a(1)

: aircraft

traveling by air

—often used before another noun

air travel

(2)

: aviation

—often used before another noun

air safety

air rights

(3)

: air force

—often used before another noun

air headquarters

b(1)

: the medium of transmission of radio waves

also : radio, television

went on the air

(2)

: airtime

3

a

: outward appearance of a thing

an air of luxury

b

: a surrounding or pervading influence : atmosphere

an air of mystery

c

: the look, appearance, or bearing of a person especially as expressive of some personal quality or emotion : demeanor

an air of dignity

d

: an artificial or affected manner

put on airs

4

a

: nothingness

—usually used in the phrases into thin air and out of thin air

vanished/disappeared into thin air

… nor did any of them seem to have noticed that six people had just melted into thin air in front of them.

—J. K. Rowling

… jobs can't just be created out of thin air.

—The Wall Street Journal

b

: empty space

c

old-fashioned : a sudden severance of relations

She gave me the air.

5

[probably translation of Italian aria]

a

: tune, melody

a lilting air

b

: the chief voice part or melody in choral music

c

Elizabethan and Jacobean music : an accompanied song or melody in usually strophic form

6

: an air-conditioning system

a house with central air

7

: public utterance

He gave air to his opinion.

8

: a football offense utilizing primarily the forward pass

Trailing by 20 points, the team took to the air.

9

: the height achieved in performing an aerial maneuver

a snowboarder catching big air

also : the maneuver itself

10

: compressed air

airless

ˈer-ləs 

adjective

airlessness noun

air

2 of 2

verb

aired; airing; airs

transitive verb

1

: to expose to the air for drying, purifying, or refreshing : ventilate

—often used with out

He opened the windows to air out the room.

2

: to expose to public view or bring to public notice

aired their complaints

3

: to transmit by radio or television

air a program

intransitive verb

1

: to become exposed to the open air

The blankets were left outside to air.

2

: to become broadcast

a program that airs daily

Phrases

in the air

: being felt or expressed by many people : in wide circulation

There was a sense of anticipation in the air.

up in the air

: not yet settled

a question that's still up in the air

Synonyms

Noun

• lay
• melody
• song
• strain
• tune
• warble

Verb

• expound
• express
• give
• look
• raise
• sound
• state
• vent
• ventilate
• voice

Choose the Right Synonym for air

Noun

pose, air, airs, affectation, mannerism mean an adopted way of speaking or behaving.

pose implies an attitude deliberately assumed in order to impress others.

her shyness was just a pose

air may suggest natural acquirement through environment or way of life.

a traveler's sophisticated air

airs always implies artificiality and pretentiousness.

snobbish airs

affectation applies to a trick of speech or behavior that strikes the observer as insincere.

the posh accent is an affectation

mannerism applies to an acquired eccentricity that has become a habit.

gesturing with a cigarette was her most noticeable mannerism

Verb

express, vent, utter, voice, broach, air mean to make known what one thinks or feels.

express suggests an impulse to reveal in words, gestures, actions, or what one creates or produces.

expressed her feelings in music

vent stresses a strong inner compulsion to express especially in words.

a tirade venting his frustration

utter implies the use of the voice not necessarily in articulate speech.

utter a groan

voice does not necessarily imply vocal utterance but does imply expression or formulation in words.

an editorial voicing their concerns

broach adds the implication of disclosing for the first time something long thought over or reserved for a suitable occasion.

broached the subject of a divorce

air implies an exposing or parading of one's views often in order to gain relief or sympathy or attention.

publicly airing their differences

Examples of air in a Sentence

Noun

These laws are meant to produce cleaner air.

A delicious smell filled the air.

I like to dine outdoors in the open air.

He can't breathe! Everybody move back and give him some air!

High in the mountains the air is thin and it can be hard to breathe.

He pumped air into the bicycle tire.

The city is wonderful seen from the air.

the fish of the sea and the birds of the air

The balloon rose up into the air and then floated through the air.

There has been heavy fighting on the ground and in the air.

Verb

The blankets were left outside to air.

She opened the windows to air the room.

The company had a meeting so that employees could air their complaints.

The interview will be aired tomorrow.

The interview will air tomorrow.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

How did changes in air quality affect measurable public health outcomes? —Susan E. Dudley, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025

Even with their long beaks and dives from up to 100 feet in the air, brown pelicans are too buoyant to get much deeper than six feet into the water, Bergeron said, suggesting their strandings may be a sign of bigger problems to come. —Jorge L. Ortiz, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2025

Verb

With its first season airing in October 2012, RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars has never had a cast that exceeded 13 returning queens. —Braedon Montgomery, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025

This particular horror flick previously aired in Memphis in the second round of the 2022 playoffs. —Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 1 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin aer, from Greek aēr air

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1530, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing air

• a change of air
• air bag
• air ball
• air base
• air bed
• air bladder
• air brake
• air-breathing
• air burst
• air chief marshal
• air commodore
• air-condition
• air cover
• air-cushion vehicle
• air dam
• air differences
• air-dry
• air force
• air fryer
• air guitar
• air gun
• air hockey
• air hole
• air hostess
• air-kiss
• air lane
• air letter
• air line
• air lock
• air marshal
• air mass
• air mattress
• air mile
• air-minded
• air of superiority
• air one's dirty laundry
• air passage
• air piracy
• air plant
• air pocket
• air police
• air pump
• air quotes
• air rage
• air raid
• air rifle
• air right
• air sac
• air show
• air spring
• air strike
• air superiority
• air suspension
• air taxi
• air-to-air
• air traffic control
• air traffic controller
• air transportation
• air vice-marshal
• blue the air
• breath of fresh air
• by air
• castle in the air
• chief master sergeant of the air force
• clear-air turbulence
• clear the air
• come/go on the air
• compressed air
• dead air
• dead-air space
• disappear/vanish into thin air
• floating on air
• forward air controller
• general of the air force
• go off the air
• hang in the air
• have one's nose in the air
• heavier-than-air
• hot air
• hot-air balloon
• into thin air
• light air
• lighter-than-air
• off-air
• off the air
• on air
• on the air
• open air
• out of thin air
• plein air
• sea air
• surface-to-air
• surface-to-air missile
• take off the air
• the open air
• throw one's hands up (in the air)
• un-air-conditioned
• walking on air
• with one's nose in the air

Rhymes for air

• ayre
• bahr
• bare
• blare
• care
• chair
• claire
• ere
• err
• eyre
• fair
• fare

Kids Definition

air

1 of 2 noun

ˈa(ə)r 

ˈe(ə)r

1

a

: the invisible mixture of odorless tasteless gases (as nitrogen and oxygen) that surrounds the earth

b

: a light breeze

2

: the state of being empty or nothing

—usually used in the phrase into thin air

vanished into thin air

3

: tune entry 1 sense 1, melody

4

a

: outward appearance

an air of mystery

b

plural : an artificial way of acting

put on airs

5

: compressed air

put air in a tire

6

a

: aircraft

travel by air

b

: aviation

air safety

7

a

: the substance through which radio waves travel

b

: a radio or television broadcast

went on the air

8

: an air-conditioning system

turn on the air

9

: the height achieved in performing a maneuver in the air

a snowboarder catching big air

air

2 of 2 verb

1

: to place in the air for cooling, freshening, or cleaning

air blankets

2

: to make known in public

air one's complaints

3

: to broadcast on radio or television

Medical Definition

air

noun

ˈa(ə)r, ˈe(ə)r 

: a mixture of invisible odorless tasteless sound-transmitting gases that is composed by volume chiefly of 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen, 0.9 percent argon, 0.03 percent carbon dioxide, varying amounts of water vapor, and minute amounts of rare gases (as helium), that surrounds the earth with half its mass within four miles of the earth's surface, that has a pressure at sea level of about 14.7 pounds per square inch, and that has a density of 1.293 grams per liter at 0°C and 760 mm pressure