hot air

American  

noun

Informal.

1. empty, exaggerated, or pretentious talk or writing.

   His report on the company's progress was just so much hot air.

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hot air British  

noun

1. informal empty and usually boastful talk

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hot air Idioms  

1. Empty, exaggerated talk, as in That last speech of his was pure hot air. It is also put as full of hot air, as in Pay no attention to Howard—he's full of hot air. This metaphoric term transfers heated air to vaporous talk. [Late 1800s]

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Etymology

Origin of hot air

1835–45 for literal sense

Example Sentences

A buddy asks if he’s being sarcastic, and the kid collapses like a hot air balloon: “I don’t even know anymore.”

From Los Angeles Times

Dust devils are small whirlwinds that form from hot air rising from the ground, and their internal movements can give rise to electrical discharges.

From BBC

Heat at the base of a continent can weaken and remove part of its dense root, making the continent lighter and more buoyant, like a hot air balloon rising after dropping its ballast.

From Science Daily

The recent plummet in Bitcoin prices may be a warning of how much hot air is out there.

From Barron's

“Thank you—well, I have only just gotten home myself. And I confess, I have grown weary of train schedules and troikas, seasickness and hot air balloons.”

From Literature

Related Words

• wind