Airs

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɛəz/

Definitions

1. Behaving in an ostentatious or overly proud way ; to make something known publicly, often on radio or TV ; to let fresh air into a space to refresh it
2. Showing off in a way meant to impress others ; to transmit or send out something for public reception ; to ventilate a room or area by allowing air circulation
3. Adopting an affected manner to attract attention ; to publicly share or communicate information or entertainment ; to remove stale air by providing ventilation

Etymology: "Airs" is simply the plural of "air" in its sense of a manner or bearing, and "air" is a word with a long and surprising detour. The word came into English in its wider senses from Old French "air," which in turn came from Latin "aer," meaning the atmosphere we breathe. Its earlier English ancestor was the Old English "lyft," which survives today as the source of "lift" and "loft," and that native word was displaced by the French-derived form. Once "air" had taken hold, it drifted from the literal sky to the appearance a person gives off. A lofty manner, a bearing that seems to float above ordinary people, is where the modern sense of putting on airs comes from. The plural form "airs" carries the sense of affected or pretentious behaviour, as in someone who gives themselves airs.

Synonyms: manner, attitude, aura, appearance, show

Antonyms: humility, modesty, sincerity, genuineness