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air

air

3 6.6
A simple tune that you can easily sing or hum
  • noun
  • /ɛr/
: melodía
  • And now, brothers and sisters, while Sister Roop realigns her spheres of spiritual thrust, a selection of stirring hymns and martial airs prepared and gifted to us by our sister station, Radio Joplin.

How about the lyrics to the Frank's Little Beauties song, The Magics in the Air?

Examples

  • A string quartet was playing Haydn airs in one of the public salons.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • There is only time to sing, "a simple and pleasant air of the period."

    Academic text (1995)
  • Others pay it little mind, even though the tunes are in the air for them to hear.

    Academic text (2005)
  • A certain melody filled the air when she laughed.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • Sounds and sweet airs that give delight and hurt not.

  • The famous singer performed a beautiful air that everyone recognized instantly.

  • Children often hum their favorite airs while playing outside.

  • I have a collection of classic airs that are perfect for my music playlist.

Synonyms

tune
vsair
347 1.0

A series of musical notes that you can sing or hum

stresses being memorable and immediately easy to notice
melody
vsair
138 1.8

A series of musical notes that form the main tune of a song

emphasizes recognizability and memorability rather than general role
line
vsair
  • Specialized
36 7.2

A single musical tune or clear sound frequency

specifies memorable or recognizable quality rather than any sequence
strain
vsair
  • Archaic
13 9.9

A short series of notes that make a tune

is the everyday term emphasizing being memorable rather than literary
catchy tune
vsair
4 1.9

A melody like a song in an ad that is easy to remember and sing

focuses on being especially recognizable or memorable
catchy hook
vsair
1 3.2

A short easy to remember musical phrase that repeats in a song

is broader referring to whole memorable tunes not just short refrains
melodic line
vsair
  • Specialized
1 4.5

A line of musical notes that forms the main tune

focuses more on memorability than on technical shape or phrasing

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

A loud, unpleasant sound that disturbs you

13 8.4

A loud, unpleasant mix of different sounds

Idioms

363 3.6

Broadcasting live on radio or television for the public

89 3.7

A feeling many people notice, like excitement or joy, that something will happen

32 4.7

Not yet decided or settled

29 6.3

Disappear completely with no trace left

Suddenly with no clear reason, like magic

23 3.2

A person or thing that brings a welcome change to a situation

hot air
  • Informal
22 5.3

Talk that sounds important but has no real meaning

A strong sound, smell, or feeling that people notice around them

on air
  • Informal
10 5.9

Feeling very happy and excited

To vanish suddenly with no trace

7 8.4

To talk about private or embarrassing family matters in public

walking on air
  • Informal
6 3.7

Feeling very happy and excited

To feel very happy and excited

A strong feeling that people in a place notice and feel

1 8.6

To talk about private, embarrassing problems in public

1 8.2

An idea or plan that is unrealistic and unlikely to happen

9.9

To use swear words, often when angry

Compounds

472 2.8

A branch of a country's military that uses planes to fight and protect the country

158 1.0

Clean outdoor air that feels refreshing and healthy

System that controls temperature and air movement inside buildings to keep people comfortable

72 3.0

Planes moving in the sky in one area at one time

thin air
  • Informal
71 5.3

A place where something disappears suddenly and cannot be found

A machine that cools and removes water from the air in a room or building

air base
  • Specialized
55 3.3

A military place where people keep, fix, and fly planes and helicopters

air bag
  • Specialized
55 2.8

A safety cushion inside a car that fills with air quickly during a crash to protect people

45 2.1

Warm air that rises when it is heated

37 4.2

A sudden attack by military planes that drop bombs and shoot at the ground

36 4.1

Aircraft that help soldiers on the ground during fighting

air power
  • Specialized
34 4.0

Military strength a country has from its planes

33 2.6

Harmful gases, smoke, and small particles in the air that can damage health or nature

32 1.0

Outside in a place that is not covered

31 2.0

Travel by plane to move people or goods

air defense
  • Specialized
27 4.2

Systems and weapons that protect a place from enemy aircraft or missiles

A large bag filled with hot air that lifts people in a basket

surface-to-air
  • Specialized
19 6.6

A weapon launched from the ground to hit targets in the air

18 2.8

A channel like a pipe that moves air to bring fresh air into buildings

18 2.1

Taking place outside and not under a roof

air pressure
  • Specialized
17 2.2

The weight of the air pushing down on a surface

A branch of the United States military that fights in the air and space

16 6.3

A weapon launched from the ground or a ship to destroy aircraft in the sky

16 3.7

An attack by military planes on the enemy

air lock
  • Specialized
14 5.6

A chamber that lets people move between places with different air pressure while preventing air mixing

A school that trains people to be officers in an air force

13 2.7

The part of the United States military that flies planes and defends the country in the air and space

11 2.8

A machine that removes dust and small particles from the air as it passes through

11 2.0

A flat mattress you fill with air for sleeping

Air Corps
  • Archaic
10 6.8

A former part of the United States Army that flew military planes before the Air Force existed

air cover
  • Jargon
10 5.0

Military aircraft protect soldiers or ships from enemy attack during an operation

10 1.9

A small pocket of air trapped inside a liquid or solid

10 4.2

A military base where planes are kept, fixed, and flown

A reserve force of civilian volunteers who support the United States Air Force in war and emergencies

9 4.9

A government officer who travels as a passenger to protect people on planes from hijacking

compressed air
  • Specialized
9 3.7

Air kept at higher pressure than normal and used to power tools

7 4.7

A vertical passage in a building or mine that lets air move through spaces

air-to-air
  • Specialized
7 5.8

Used by one plane to aim at or talk to another plane in the air

air pocket
  • Specialized
7 5.3

A sudden drop of a plane caused by a small area of falling air

air flow
  • Specialized
6 2.8

Movement of air through a space or system

The movement of people or goods by plane

6 2.3

A person who travels by plane

6 2.4

A small hole that lets air move through for breathing or ventilation

dead air
  • Literature
6 6.3

A short, unplanned silence during a radio or TV broadcast

6 3.3

A movement of air from one place to another

5 3.5

The United Kingdom's military force that uses planes

air unit
  • Specialized
5 4.8

A group in an air force that uses aircraft for missions

5 2.7

A flexible tube that carries air under pressure to inflate tires or power tools

5 3.0

People who work on a plane during a flight, like pilots and cabin staff

5 3.0

Completely sealed so no air can get in or out

A military person with a rank who serves in a country's air force

A machine that cools and dries the air in a room or building

4 3.0

A loud horn that uses compressed air to make a strong sound on trucks or ships

A market that takes place outdoors where stalls sell food and other goods

3 1.9

A tool that moves air into or out of objects such as tires and balls

3 3.7

A gun that uses compressed air to fire small pellets

The movement of people or goods by plane

air mass
  • Specialized
3 3.4

A large area of air with about the same temperature, humidity, and pressure

air-intake
  • Specialized
3 3.9

A part that lets air enter an engine or machine

A machine that pushes air to a higher pressure to power tools or inflate things

A strong place, often underground, that protects people from bombs

air-to-air missile
  • Specialized
2 5.3

A weapon that one plane fires to destroy another plane in the air

2 2.8

Air that smells old and feels heavy

air-cooled
  • Specialized
2 4.1

Cooled by air instead of by water

air-to-ground
  • Specialized
2 4.7

Used from a plane to attack or send messages to targets on the ground

air passage
  • Specialized
2 3.5

A channel that moves air in or out of places like buildings and mines

2 2.1

A short, light burst of air

2 3.2

A feeling of sickness and dizziness during a plane flight

2 3.1

A device that shoots small pellets using compressed air instead of gunpowder

air group
  • Jargon
2 5.4

A unit of the United States Air Force larger than a squadron and smaller than a wing

air mile
  • Specialized
2 3.2

A unit of distance used in flying that equals 1,852 meters

2 2.6

Air moving through a place or system

A small, highly trained group of British soldiers who do secret, dangerous missions

How Memorable

anthem
120 3.5
air
3 6.6
theme
  • Specialized
107 3.4
tune
347 1.0

Surface Forms

air singular
airs plural

Etymology

An air meaning 'melody' comes from an old French use of air for 'tune' or 'song' — imagine a tune carried on the breath or wind, which is why 'air' can mean a short, memorable melody.