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.
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
But the film’s scattershot writing leaves its punchlines hitting dead air before falling smack against the floor.
From Salon
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
The entire commentary shines with a very knowledgeable director explaining his craft and his motivations with only a few areas of dead air.
From Washington Times
Why do the people who manage Dodger Stadium feel that every single second of dead air has to be filled with loud music, sound effects and electronic whizbang?
From Los Angeles Times
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.
