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

The Supersonic comes with a flyaway attachment, diffuser, styling concentrator, and wide tooth comb and gentle air attachments. —Danielle Directo-Meston, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Apr. 2024

Beckman recalled the network’s daily 2:30 p.m. programming meetings — and how the Simpson trial was always in the air, yet never discussed. —Michael Schneider, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024

Begin flying the drone by gently tossing it in the air. —Maya Polton, Parents, 12 Apr. 2024

But the Simpson trial produced endless hours of courtroom theater, prompting viewers to tune in before the likes of Peter Jennings and Tom Brokaw made their way to air. —Oliver Darcy, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024

The lightweight blanket is also great for spring and summer nights, since outdoor breezes and blasting air conditioners don’t necessarily call for your thickest knits. —Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024

Wasow himself had taught Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King how to surf the Net on national television (after learning how to use a mouse, the women responded on air to emails from Diane Sawyer, Hillary Clinton, and Bill Gates). —Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 12 Apr. 2024

Weekend outlook: Strong wind, cool air to sweep eastern US Cooler temperatures and powerful winds will spread east from the Midwest, Ohio and Tennessee valleys Friday night and Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. —Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024

Meanwhile, the air district said, the public had full access to the park. —Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024

Verb

Their January 2024 wedding aired live on the network, and was attended by Bachelor Nation legacy cast members — from Trista and Ryan Sutter to Wells Adams. —Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024

After the Kardashian’s rise in popularity was already established, Ryan Murphy’s The People vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story aired on FX. —Krystie Lee Yandoli, Rolling Stone, 12 Apr. 2024

Thirteen movies in the feel-good mystery franchise have aired since 2013, feeding us a steady stream of poignant stories surrounding undelivered mail at the Dead Letter Office. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 12 Apr. 2024

On a 911 tape from Oct. 25, 1993 — widely aired after she and Goldman were killed — Nicole is heard pleading with the operator for help. —Elaine Woo, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024

Lifetime is known for programming that centers around women’s stories, mostly recently airing docuseries on Wendy Williams and Gypsy Rose Blanchard. —Elizabeth Wagmeister, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024

The Simpson-Montgomery police drama aired 18 years before the notorious 1995 world-watching murder trial, where Simpson, having been accused of murdering Nicole Brown Simpson, his White ex-wife, and her friend Ron Goldman, had suddenly gone beyond TV fame and through the portal of TV infamy. —Wil Haygood, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024

Early round coverage of the Masters will air on ESPN+, with the final round airing Sunday afternoon on CBS. —Anna Tingley, Variety, 11 Apr. 2024

The View did not air a new episode on Friday — otherwise known to observers as Good Friday — because of the Easter holiday weekend, Entertainment Weekly has learned. —Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 29 Mar. 2024

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

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