air guitar

American  

noun

1. an imaginary guitar that one pretends to be playing.

   a fan playing air guitar along with the band.

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air guitar British  

noun

1. an imaginary guitar played while miming to rock music

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Other Word Forms

• air guitarist noun

Etymology

Origin of air guitar

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

As for whether he was mimicking someone urinating, Mr Van Quickenborne - widely known as "Quickie" in Belgium - said he was in fact performing an "air guitar solo".

From BBC • Sep. 7, 2023

While teammates pushed hard on their headphones to hear their nonmetal music, Murphy was playing air guitar and drums in between sets of lifts, nodding his head and attacking his workout.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 3, 2023

He’s sounding out metal-shredding noises with his mouth, while furiously playing the air guitar.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 15, 2022

It became an obsession, one that delighted him and made him dance and play air sax, air guitar and air banjo in his basement.

From New York Times • Sep. 30, 2022

Jayden plays air guitar, and Madge dances, jingling her shoelace chimes.

From "Muffled" by Jennifer Gennari