airy

adjective

ˈer-ē How to pronounce airy (audio)
airier; airiest
Synonyms of airynext
1
a
: of or relating to air : atmospheric
b
: high in the air : lofty
airy perches
c
: performed in air : aerial
airy leaps
2
: unreal, illusory
airy romances
3
a
: being light and graceful in movement or manner : sprightly, vivacious
an airy dance
b
: exceptionally light, delicate, or refined
an airy fragrance
4
a
: open to the free circulation of air
an airy room
b
: having openings or spaces
airy lacework
5
: affected, proud
airy condescension
airily
ˈer-ə-lē How to pronounce airy (audio)
adverb
airiness
ˈer-ē-nəs How to pronounce airy (audio)
noun

Synonyms of airy

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of airy in a Sentence

The room is open, light, and airy. He refused with an airy wave of his hand.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
My mom raves about Vuori loungewear, and there’s currently a pair of the brand’s airy, feather-soft wide-leg pants on sale for 25 percent off. — Rylee Johnston, PEOPLE, 8 Aug. 2026 The airy interiors cement the beach house feel, with white wood paneling creating a crisp canvas for pops of turquoise and natural wood. — Elise Taylor, Vogue, 7 Aug. 2026 Lenae aims to build on Bird’s Eye’s ethos of expansion, pushing further into an airy, lambent sound. — Stephen Kearse, Pitchfork, 7 Aug. 2026 The airy design is easy to toss in the washing machine and instantly refreshes your bed without adding bulk. — Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for airy

Word History

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of airy was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing airy

Rhymes for airy

See All Rhymes for airy

Browse Nearby Words

air wrench
airy
Airy disk
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Airy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/airy. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

airy

adjective
ˈa(ə)r-ē How to pronounce airy (audio)
ˈe(ə)r-
airier; airiest
1
a
: of or relating to air : atmospheric
b
: high in the air : lofty
airy perches
c
: performed in air
airy leaps
2
: lacking a sound or solid basis
airy romance
3
a
: light and graceful in movement and manner
an airy dancer
b
: extremely light, delicate, or refined
an airy perfume
4
: open to the air : breezy
an airy room
airily
ˈar-ə-lē How to pronounce airy (audio)
ˈer-
adverb
airiness
ˈar-ē-nəs How to pronounce airy (audio)
ˈer-
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on airy

Nglish: Translation of airy for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of nurture

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All