airhead

¹ American  

[air-hed] / ˈɛərˌhɛd /

noun

1. Slang. a scatterbrained, stupid, or simple-minded person; dolt.

   Even though she's crazy about surfing, she's not the bikini-babe airhead you might think.

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airhead ² American  

[air-hed] / ˈɛərˌhɛd /

noun

1. an area in enemy territory or in threatened friendly territory, seized by airborne troops for bringing in supplies and additional troops by airdrop or landing.

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airhead ¹ British  

/ ˈɛəˌhɛd /

noun

1. military an area secured in hostile territory, used as a base for the supply and evacuation of troops and equipment by air

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airhead ² British  

/ ˈɛəˌhɛd /

noun

1. slang a stupid or simple-minded person; idiot

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Other Word Forms

• airheaded
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of airhead¹

First recorded probably earlier than 1975–80; air ¹ + head

Origin of airhead²

air ¹ + (beach)head

Explanation

An airhead is a silly, foolish person. If your friend spends fifteen minutes searching for her lost sunglasses, only to find them on top of her head, you can call her an airhead. While the most popular meaning of airhead is "scatterbrain" or "dingbat," the formal definition of this noun is quite different. Airhead is a military term for a base inside hostile territory where supplies and troops can be kept, and from where soldiers can more safely fly in and out of the area. This 1950s-era meaning comes from the form of the military term beachhead — the slang term is from the 1970s.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

airhead

And in the second act, he has a crucial existential colloquy with Marianne, Rachel Bay Jones’ wealthy airhead, who reveals a surprising amount of depth in a philosophical back and forth with her uncertain confessor.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 11, 2023

But it’s hard to argue with Bettis’s frazzled underplaying or Farnworth’s stellar airhead routine, an impressively sustained study in quick-witted dimwittedness.

From New York Times ● Oct. 1, 2020

Soon Ryan Lochte will disappear back into his airhead oblivion.

From Salon ● Aug. 22, 2016

Though Kim is widely perceived as a beautiful airhead, he defends her as a brilliant business mind and entertainer who deserves a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

From The Guardian ● Jun. 25, 2015

I was kind of hoping Edie would be an airhead.

From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish

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