airs

British  

/ ɛəz /

plural noun

1. affected manners intended to impress others (esp in the phrases give oneself airs, put on airs )

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Explanation

To have airs is to be condescending or arrogant — in other words, to act like you think you're better than other people. If you put on airs, you'll find it hard to make friends. It's most common to find the word airs in the phrase "to put on airs." This basically means to act snobbish or stuck up. Someone who puts on airs is extremely annoying to everyone around him, clearly pretentious and mannered in his attitude. The phrase has been around since the 1780s, and it comes from the French air, "look, appearance, bearing, or tone."

Example Sentences

The FaceTime camera has a resolution of 1080p, similar to what’s on older MacBook Airs but not as good as the newer 12-megapixel cameras with Center Stage that the top-selling Airs have now.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026

The 1950s Chevy Bel Airs, Ford Fairlanes, Pontiacs, Volkswagen Beetles and some older Ford models paraded through the streets of the Cuban capital.

From Washington Times • Dec. 4, 2023

Airs at 5 p.m. in Seattle on over-the-air Channel 33.7, KWPX.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 11, 2022

Lucid is also primed to sell many more Airs in America this year — as many as 20,000 from a new Arizona factory — than the EQS.

From New York Times • Feb. 7, 2022

I watched to see if Mr. or Airs.

From "The Red Umbrella" by Christina Gonzalez