air quotes
Americanplural noun
Etymology
Origin of air quotes
First recorded in 1985–90
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“There was this fear of making a mistake — air quotes — that would lead to two Republicans in the runoff.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 31, 2026
Gaffigan is serious enough about his pursuit to say “my whiskey journey” several times in conversation with a straight face and no air quotes.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 1, 2025
Dahlia and I always put this “doctrine” in air quotes.
From Slate • Jul. 8, 2025
“It just feels like you’re going to go on court and not play the way you ‘should,‘” she said, making air quotes with her fingers, “or the way you ‘could,’ you know?
From Washington Times • Jun. 28, 2023
“Yeah, he believes Malik is going to be able to identify some factor in tuatara blood that makes them age slowly, and then he’s going to ‘cure death,’” Davis said, using air quotes.
From "Turtles All the Way Down" by John Green
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
