air
[noun]
Synonyms:
- atmosphere, heavens, sky
- wind, breeze, draught, zephyr
- manner, appearance, atmosphere, aura, demeanour, impression, look, mood
- tune, aria, lay, melody, song
[verb]
Synonyms:
- publicize, circulate, display, exhibit, express, give vent to, make known, make public, reveal, voice
- ventilate, aerate, expose, freshen

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Contrasted words: basis, essence, reality
Related Idioms: make public, noise (or sound) abroad, spread far and wide
Related Words: manner, style, loftiness, ostentation, pretentiousness, show, complacency, self-importance, vainglory, vanity, character, property, quality, discover, divulge, reveal, broadcast, declare, proclaim, publish

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English Thesaurus: comment, remark, point, observation, aside, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. air¹ S1 W1 /eə $ er/ noun
[Sense 1-7, 9: Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin aer, from Greek]
[Sense 8: Date: 1500-1600; Origin: Probably a translation of Italian aria; ⇒ aria]

1. GAS [uncountable] the mixture of gases around the Earth, that we breathe:
Let’s go outside and get some fresh air.
You need to put some air in the tyres.
in the air
There was a strong smell of burning in the air. ⇒ a breath of fresh air at breath(2)

2. SPACE ABOVE THE GROUND the air the space above the ground or around things
into the air
Flames leapt into the air.
through the air
He fell 2,000 metres through the air without a parachute.

3. PLANES
a) by air travelling by, or using, a plane:
I’d prefer to travel by air.
b) relating to or involving planes:
the victims of Britain’s worst air disaster
Air travel was growing rapidly.
air traffic congestion
His brother died in an air crash.

4. be in the air
a) if a feeling is in the air, a lot of people feel it at the same time:
There was a sense of excitement in the air.
b) to be going to happen very soon:
Change is in the air.

5. APPEARANCE [singular] if something or someone has an air of confidence, mystery etc, they seem confident, mysterious etc
air of
She had an air of quiet confidence.
She looked at him with a determined air.

6. be up in the air if something is up in the air, no decision has been made about it yet:
Our trip is still very much up in the air.

7. be on/off (the) air to be broadcasting on the radio or television at the present moment, or to stop broadcasting:
We’ll be on air in three minutes.

8. MUSIC [countable] a simple tune, often used in the title of a piece of classical music

9. airs [plural] a way of behaving that shows someone thinks they are more important than they really are
put on airs/give yourself airs
Trudy is always putting on airs.
an actor with no airs and graces

10. be walking/floating on air to feel very happy
⇒ hot air, on-air, ⇒ clear the air at clear²(15), ⇒ disappear/vanish into thin air at thin¹(15), ⇒ out of thin air at thin¹(16)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. air² verb

1. OPINION [transitive] to express your opinions publicly
air your views/grievances/complaints etc
Staff will get a chance to ask questions and air their views.

2. TV/RADIO [intransitive and transitive] to broadcast a programme on television or radio:
KPBS airs such popular children’s programs as ‘Barney’ and ‘Sesame Street’.
The program is due to air next month.

3. ROOM [transitive] especially British English, air something out American English to let fresh air into a room, especially one that has been closed for a long time

4. CLOTHES [intransitive and transitive] especially British English, air (something) out American English to put a piece of clothing in a place that is warm or has a lot of air, so that it smells clean:
I’ve left my sweater outside to air.
⇒ airing, ⇒ air your dirty laundry at dirty¹(7)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

air
noun
I. gas/space
ADJ. hot, warm | chill, cold, cool, crisp | clean, clear, fresh, pure We need some fresh air in this stuffy room!
sweet The air was sweet with incense.
foul/foul-smelling, polluted, stale the polluted air of our cities
the musty smell of stale air
damp, humid | dry | still Nothing moved in the still air.
thin It's difficult carrying such heavy loads in the thin air of the mountains.
thick The air was thick with cigarette smoke.
country, mountain, sea | evening, morning, night Music filled the night air.
QUANT. blast, gust We felt a blast of cold air as she opened the door. | current warm currents of air
breath He drew in another breath of air.
VERB + AIR breathe (in), gulp in, suck in Land crabs breathe air and cannot swim. She gulped in the fresh mountain air.
fight for, gasp for She was gasping for air as she ran out of the burning house.
smell, sniff The dog stretched and sniffed the air.
fill, hang in The tang of some wild herb hung in the air.
AIR + VERB blow, rise, waft The cool night air wafted in the open windows.
AIR + NOUN pollution | quality equipment to monitor air quality
pressure | current
PREP. in/into the ~ I kicked the ball high into the air.
through the ~ Spicy smells wafted through the air.
PHRASES in the open air (= outside) The market is held in the open air.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

air
II. for planes
AIR + NOUN travel | fare | traffic We are cleared by Air Traffic Control to taxi and take off.
crash, disaster | attack, strike Three buildings were bombed last night in an air strike on the city.
PREP. by ~ (= by plane) It only takes three hours by air.
from the ~ The hideout is clearly visible from the air.
PHRASES in mid-air The two planes collided in mid air.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

air
III. impression
VERB + AIR have, retain You have an air of authority.
add, bring, give (sth) A stone balcony gives the building an air of elegance.
PREP. with an/the ~ He leaned towards Melissa with an air of great confidentiality.
~ of

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

air
verb
ADV. in public, openly, publicly The issues were openly aired and discussed by the group.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

air

fresh
She opened the window to let in some fresh air.
clean
London’s air is cleaner than it has been at any time since 1585.
warm/hot
Warm air rises and is replaced by cooler and denser air.
I felt a sudden rush of hot air.
cool/cold
The air had turned a little cooler.
crisp (=pleasantly cool)
the crisp autumn air
clear
I looked up to the stars in the clear night air.
damp/humid
Damp air causes condensation.
polluted
The air in Mexico City is heavily polluted.
stale (=not fresh and often full of smoke)
The room was full of stale air and tobacco smoke.
the air is thin (=there is less oxygen because you are in a high place)
People cannot live up there because the air is too thin and there is not enough oxygen to breathe.
the morning/evening/night air
He stepped out and breathed in the cold morning air.
the sea/mountain/country air
the salty smell of the sea air
the still air (=air in which there is no wind)
Smoke from the chimneys hung in the still air.
air pollution
Most air pollution is caused by cars.
the air quality
The air quality is very poor on hot days.
the air pressure
The air pressure had dropped.
a breath of air
I went outside for a breath of air.
a rush/blast/stream of air
There was a cold rush of air as she wound down her window.
a current of air
The birds are able to glide on a current of warm air.
breathe in the air
She breathed in the cool mountain air.
fight/gasp for air (=try to breathe with difficulty)
He clutched his throat as he fought for air.
let in some air (=let fresh air into a room)
It would be nice to open the door and let in some air.
put air into something (=fill a tyre, balloon etc with air)
I need to put some air in the tyres.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

air
noun
1.
BAD: It's hard to find a fresh air nowadays.
GOOD: It's hard to find any fresh air nowadays.

Usage Note:
Air (= the mixture of gases that we breathe) is an uncountable noun: 'Let's go for a walk and get some air in our lungs.'

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2.
See PURE (pure)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

comment something that you say or write in order to give your opinion:
Does anyone have any comments?
Readers are invited to send in their comments and suggestions.
remark something that you say:
Just ignore them if they start making rude remarks.
I’m not sure what he meant by that last remark.
point something that someone mentions about a subject in a discussion, argument, article etc:
That’s an interesting point, Steve.
He raises (=mentions) a number of important points in his paper.
observation a comment in which you say what you think or have noticed about something:
Karl Marx made the observation that history repeats itself first as tragedy, second as farce.
aside a comment made in a low voice, that you intend only certain people to hear:
‘Is that true?’, she whispered in an aside to Don.
quip /kwɪp/ a clever and amusing comment:
She knew she should reply with some light-hearted quip.
dig informal a comment you make to annoy or criticize someone:
I’m tired of her little digs at me.
taunt /tɔːnt $ tɒːnt/ a comment intended to make someone angry or upset:
The fans made racist taunts throughout the game.
say to tell someone something, using words:
‘I really ought to go,’ she said.
Lauren said she’d probably be late.
state to say something, especially in a definite or formal way – used in official contexts:
The witness stated that he had never seen the woman before.
Please state your name and address.
announce to publicly tell people about something:
The chairman announced his resignation.
The results will be announced tomorrow.
We will announce the winners next Sunday.
They were announcing the train times over the loudspeaker system.
declare to say something very firmly:
‘My personal life is none of your business,’ she declared.
mention to talk about someone or something, especially without giving many details:
Did Tom mention anything about what happened at school?
Your name was mentioned!
express to let someone know your feelings by putting them into words:
Young children often find it difficult to express their emotions.
note/remark formal to say that you have noticed that something is true – used especially in formal writing:
We have already noted that most old people live alone.
Someone once remarked that the problem with computers is that they only give you answers.
add to say something more, after what has already been said:
He added that he thought it could be done fairly cheaply.
point out to mention something that seems particularly important or relevant:
Dr Graham points out that most children show some signs of abnormal behaviour.
It’s worth pointing out that few people actually die of this disease.
air to talk about your opinions, worries, or the things you disagree about: air your views/grievances/differences:
The programme will give listeners the chance to air their views about immigration.
Workers were able to air their grievances.
voice to talk publicly about your feelings or about whether you approve or disapprove of something formal: voice concern/support/doubt/fears etc:
The president has already voiced his support for the proposal.
She voiced concern for the safety of the hostages.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

money what you use to buy things, in the form of notes or coins:
He spent all his money on computer equipment.
cash money in the form of coins and notes:
I didn’t have any cash with me.
currency the money used in a particular country:
The dollar gained in value against other currencies.
a single European currency
change money in the form of coins of low value:
Do you have any small change?
a pocketful of loose change
note British English, bill American English a piece of paper money:
a £20 note
a $5 bill
coin a flat round piece of metal used as money:
She put some coins in the parking meter.
He took a coin out of his pocket.
a ten-pence/50-cent etc piece a coin worth a particular amount
say to tell someone something, using words:
‘I really ought to go,’ she said.
Lauren said she’d probably be late.
state to say something, especially in a definite or formal way – used in official contexts:
The witness stated that he had never seen the woman before.
Please state your name and address.
announce to publicly tell people about something:
The chairman announced his resignation.
The results will be announced tomorrow.
We will announce the winners next Sunday.
They were announcing the train times over the loudspeaker system.
declare to say something very firmly:
‘My personal life is none of your business,’ she declared.
mention to talk about someone or something, especially without giving many details:
Did Tom mention anything about what happened at school?
Your name was mentioned!
express to let someone know your feelings by putting them into words:
Young children often find it difficult to express their emotions.
comment to say what your opinion is about someone or something:
The prime minister was asked to comment on the crisis.
note/remark formal to say that you have noticed that something is true – used especially in formal writing:
We have already noted that most old people live alone.
Someone once remarked that the problem with computers is that they only give you answers.
add to say something more, after what has already been said:
He added that he thought it could be done fairly cheaply.
point out to mention something that seems particularly important or relevant:
Dr Graham points out that most children show some signs of abnormal behaviour.
It’s worth pointing out that few people actually die of this disease.
air to talk about your opinions, worries, or the things you disagree about: air your views/grievances/differences:
The programme will give listeners the chance to air their views about immigration.
Workers were able to air their grievances.
voice to talk publicly about your feelings or about whether you approve or disapprove of something formal: voice concern/support/doubt/fears etc:
The president has already voiced his support for the proposal.
She voiced concern for the safety of the hostages.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

say to tell someone something, using words:
‘I really ought to go,’ she said.
Lauren said she’d probably be late.
state to say something, especially in a definite or formal way – used in official contexts:
The witness stated that he had never seen the woman before.
Please state your name and address.
announce to publicly tell people about something:
The chairman announced his resignation.
The results will be announced tomorrow.
We will announce the winners next Sunday.
They were announcing the train times over the loudspeaker system.
declare to say something very firmly:
‘My personal life is none of your business,’ she declared.
mention to talk about someone or something, especially without giving many details:
Did Tom mention anything about what happened at school?
Your name was mentioned!
express to let someone know your feelings by putting them into words:
Young children often find it difficult to express their emotions.
comment to say what your opinion is about someone or something:
The prime minister was asked to comment on the crisis.
note/remark formal to say that you have noticed that something is true – used especially in formal writing:
We have already noted that most old people live alone.
Someone once remarked that the problem with computers is that they only give you answers.
add to say something more, after what has already been said:
He added that he thought it could be done fairly cheaply.
point out to mention something that seems particularly important or relevant:
Dr Graham points out that most children show some signs of abnormal behaviour.
It’s worth pointing out that few people actually die of this disease.
air to talk about your opinions, worries, or the things you disagree about: air your views/grievances/differences:
The programme will give listeners the chance to air their views about immigration.
Workers were able to air their grievances.
voice to talk publicly about your feelings or about whether you approve or disapprove of something formal: voice concern/support/doubt/fears etc:
The president has already voiced his support for the proposal.
She voiced concern for the safety of the hostages.
whisper to say something very quietly, using your breath rather than your full voice:
‘Don’t wake the baby,’ Jenny whispered.
mumble to say something quietly without pronouncing the words clearly:
He mumbled his thanks.
mutter to say something quietly, especially when you are annoyed but do not want someone to hear you complaining:
‘This is ridiculous,’ he muttered under his breath.
She muttered something about having to go home early.
murmur to say something in a soft slow gentle voice:
She stroked his hair and murmured, ‘Don’t worry. You’ll be all right.’
growl to say something in a low angry voice:
‘As I was saying,’ Lewis growled, ‘it needs to be finished today.’
snarl to say something in a nasty angry way:
‘Get out of my way!’ he snarled.
exclaim to say something suddenly and loudly:
‘How beautiful!’ she exclaimed.
blurt out to suddenly say something without thinking, especially something embarrassing or secret:
It was partly nervousness that had made him blurt out the question.
stammer/stutter to speak with a lot of pauses and repeated sounds, because you have a speech problem, or because you are nervous or excited:
‘I’ll, I’ll only be a m-moment,’ he stammered.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

air
ɛə
See: build castles in the air , clear the air , give oneself airs , get the air at get the bounce(1) , give the air at give the bounce(1) , in the air , into thin air , leave hanging or leave hanging in the air , on the air , out of thin air , up in the air , walk on air

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲