airy
/'eəri/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Light, delicate, or insubstantial: Having little weight or substance; seeming as light or intangible as air.
- Well-ventilated; breezy: Open to or filled with fresh air.
- Lighthearted or casual: Cheerful, graceful, or nonchalant in manner.
- Unrealistic or impractical: Based on speculation or imagination rather than reality; fanciful.
Usage and Examples
- Describing something light or delicate:
- She wore an airy dress made of silk.
- The cake had an airy texture.
- Describing a space with fresh air:
- The large windows made the room feel bright and airy.
- We sat on the airy balcony.
- Describing a lighthearted manner:
- He dismissed the problem with an airy wave of his hand.
- Her airy laughter filled the hallway.
- Describing something unrealistic:
- The plan was based on airy assumptions, not facts.
- He made airy promises he could not keep.
Advanced Usage
- "Airy-fairy" (idiomatic, often derogatory): Impractical, vague, or fanciful.
- His ideas for the project were a bit airy-fairy and lacked concrete details.
Variants and Related Words
- Airily (adverb): In a light, casual, or nonchalant manner.
- She airily suggested we could finish the work in a day.
- Airiness (noun): The quality of being light, spacious, or well-ventilated.
- The airiness of the modern apartment was its best feature.
Synonyms
- Ethereal: Extremely delicate and light.
- Breezy: Fresh and animated; pleasantly windy.
- Nonchalant: Feeling or appearing casually calm and relaxed.
- Speculative: Based on conjecture rather than knowledge.
Antonyms
- Substantial: Of considerable importance, size, or worth.
- Stuffy: Lacking fresh air.
- Serious: Solemn or thoughtful in character or manner.
- Practical: Of or concerned with the actual doing or use of something.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- An airy nothing: Something that is completely without substance or reality.
- The politician's speech was full of airy nothings.
Adjective
- characterized by lightness and insubstantiality; as impalpable or intangible as air
- figures light and aeriform come unlooked for and melt away- Thomas Carlyle
- aerial fancies
- an airy apparition
- physical rather than ethereal forms
- having little or no perceptible weight; so light as to resemble air
- airy gauze curtains
- not practical or realizable; speculative
- airy theories about socioeconomic improvement
- visionary schemes for getting rich
- open to or abounding in fresh air
- airy rooms