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

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

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

Not to his adoring public, some of whom likely strummed out some air guitar riffs in parasocial celebration.

From Salon • Jun. 1, 2022

And in 25 minutes, he finished with 27 points, including a pull-up three-pointer he celebrated by playing an air guitar while jogging back on defense.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 9, 2021

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

From "Muffled" by Jennifer Gennari