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

Launched in 2010, the show airs at 6 a.m. in New York City.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

Largely welcomed by critics, each show, which airs on Sky, is performed in front of a studio audience and features a celebrity guest host and live music.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

But for history buffs and musical enthusiasts alike, a sonically richer version filled with sound effects of the musical airs exclusively on Audible today, April 16.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

Photographers and video crews were stationed outside the street level studio in Rockefeller Plaza where the program airs live each weekday.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

Fat, talkative, with the airs of a matron in disgrace, she renounced the sterile illusions of her cards and found peace and consolation in other people's loves.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez