Airy — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ˈer-ē/

Meaning & Definition of Airy

Airy (adjective)

  1. of or relating to air, atmospheric
  2. high in the air, lofty
  3. performed in air, aerial

Airy (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. resembling air in lightness

    "the bakery's lemon pies are famous for their airy meringues"

    similar: ethereal, fluffy, gossamer, gossamery, light
    related: cobwebby, dainty, delicate, diaphanous, downy, feathery, flimsy, gauzelike, gauzy, insubstantial, tender, wispy, buoyant, lighter-than-air, lightweight, rarefied, unsubstantial, vaporous, weightless, cumulous, pillowy
    opposite: heavy, leaden
    near: firm, solid, substantial, bulky, burdensome, cumbersome, hefty, hulking, lumpish, ponderous, unwieldy, weighty

  2. open to the free circulation of air

    "a pleasant, airy room"

    similar: breezy, ventilated
    related: atmosphered, vented
    opposite: breathless, stuffy, unventilated
    near: close, stifling, suffocating

  3. located at a greater height than average or usual

    "airy mountain villages"

    similar: elevated, high, nosebleed
    related: ascendant, ascending, soaring, overhead, overlooking, raised, upheld, uplifted, upraised, topmost, upmost, upper, uppermost, upward
    opposite: low, low-lying
    near: depressed, descendant, descending, down, dropped, fallen, grounded, lowered, sunken, lowermost, nethermost, undermost, abreast, even, level

  4. having much high-spirited energy and movement

    "the airy revelry of their latest album is a departure from the slower and more somber music of the band's previous work"

    similar: active, animate, animated, bouncing, brisk, energetic, frisky, gay, jaunty, jazzy, kinetic, lively, mettlesome, peppy, perky, pert, pizzazzy, racy, snappy, spanking, sparky, spirited, sprightly, springy, vital, vivacious, zippy, on the go
    related: dapper, dashing, spiffy, agog, alert, awake, open-eyed, up, wide-awake, agile, nimble, spry, bright, buoyant, cheerful, chipper, chirpy, chirrupy, effervescent, sparkly, upbeat, eager, enthusiastic, keen, frolicsome, impish, pixieish, playful, boisterous, bubbly, ebullient, exuberant, high-spirited, high-strung, nervous, skittish
    opposite: dead, inactive, inanimate, lackadaisical, languid, languishing, languorous, leaden, lifeless, limp, listless, spiritless, vapid
    near: indolent, lazy, unambitious, inert, lethargic, sleepy, sluggish, tired, torpid, weary, apathetic, impassive, phlegmatic, stolid, boring, dull, irksome, tedious

  5. satisfying or pleasing because of fineness or mildness

    "an airy cologne that would be appropriate to wear to the office"

    similar: dainty, delicate, exquisite, nuanced, refined, subtle
    related: choice, elegant, extraordinary, incomparable, peerless, preeminent, prime, rare, select, superior, superlative, supreme, transcendent, unsurpassed, picked, selected, fine, fragile, frail
    opposite: robust, strong, sturdy
    near: coarse, crude, rough, common, ordinary, average, fair, indifferent, mediocre, medium, middling, run-of-the-mill, second-rate

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Airy

The most common words with a similar meaning to Airy:

ethereal, fluffy, gossamer, gossamery, light, breezy, ventilated, elevated, high, nosebleed, active, animate, animated, bouncing, brisk, energetic, frisky, gay, jaunty, jazzy, kinetic, lively, mettlesome, peppy, perky, pert, pizzazzy, racy, snappy, spanking, sparky, spirited, sprightly, springy, vital, vivacious, zippy, dainty, delicate, exquisite

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Airy

Words with the opposite meaning of Airy:

heavy, leaden, breathless, stuffy, unventilated, low, low-lying, dead, inactive, inanimate, lackadaisical, languid, languishing, languorous, lifeless, limp, listless, spiritless, vapid, robust, strong, sturdy

Related Words for Airy

cobwebby, diaphanous, downy, feathery, flimsy, gauzelike, gauzy, insubstantial, tender, wispy, buoyant, lighter-than-air, lightweight, rarefied, unsubstantial, vaporous, weightless, cumulous, pillowy, atmosphered, vented, ascendant, ascending, soaring, overhead, overlooking, raised, upheld, uplifted, upraised

Near Antonyms of Airy

firm, solid, substantial, bulky, burdensome, cumbersome, hefty, hulking, lumpish, ponderous, unwieldy, weighty, close, stifling, suffocating, depressed, descendant, descending, down, dropped, fallen, grounded, lowered, sunken, lowermost, nethermost, undermost, abreast, even, level

Word Forms of Airy

Inflections: airier, airiest

Derived words: airily (adverb), airiness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Airy

First known use: 14th century

Words & Phrases Containing Airy

airy-fairy

Frequently Asked Questions about Airy

What does "Airy" mean?

"Airy" means of or relating to air, atmospheric. As an adjective, it is defined as: of or relating to air, atmospheric. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Airy"?

Other words for "Airy" include ethereal, fluffy, gossamer, gossamery, light, breezy, ventilated and elevated. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Airy" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Airy"?

There are 133 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Airy". Common alternatives include ethereal, fluffy, gossamer, gossamery, light, breezy, ventilated, elevated, high and nosebleed.

What is the opposite of "Airy"?

Antonyms of "Airy" include heavy, leaden, breathless, stuffy, unventilated, low, low-lying and dead. Near antonyms include firm, solid, substantial and bulky.

How do you use "Airy" in a sentence?

Examples of "Airy" in a sentence: "the bakery's lemon pies are famous for their airy meringues"; "a pleasant, airy room"; "airy mountain villages".

Is "Airy" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Airy" is an adjective.

How do you pronounce "Airy"?

"Airy" is pronounced /ˈer-ē/.

What is the origin of the word "Airy"?

First known use: 14th century.