dead air
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of dead air
First recorded in 1940–45
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It seeks to deliver a brisk 30-minute recap of the day’s headlines without any halting clauses, dropped prepositions, or dead air.
From Slate • Jan. 6, 2026
"Even when there's a few moments of dead air here, people think, 'What's wrong?" laughs Ms Hagen.
From BBC • Jul. 13, 2025
The callers often seem confused; there is dead air, and Mulaney, who does not hold the tightest rein over the show, will summarily end a conversation by asking what kind of car they drive.
From Los Angeles Times • May 2, 2025
Instead, the backing track squawked for a second and then dead air filled the room, with nary a patriotic chord to be heard.
From Salon • Jan. 21, 2025
In the last breath before dead air, I tell Ty the truth.
From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
