hot air

American  

noun

Informal.

1. empty, exaggerated, or pretentious talk or writing.

   His report on the company's progress was just so much hot air.

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hot air British  

noun

1. informal empty and usually boastful talk

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hot air Idioms  

1. Empty, exaggerated talk, as in That last speech of his was pure hot air. It is also put as full of hot air, as in Pay no attention to Howard—he's full of hot air. This metaphoric term transfers heated air to vaporous talk. [Late 1800s]

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Etymology

Origin of hot air

1835–45 for literal sense

Example Sentences

As hot air rises off the desert floor, cooler air pours down from above and funnels between the mountain ranges, sending unpredictable gusts sweeping across the tennis complex.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 7, 2026

Find the source of hot air, spot the killer news, and don’t speculate.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026

This is when hot air rises, but as the heat and smoke reach the ceiling there is nowhere for it to go.

From BBC • Jan. 17, 2026

Heat at the base of a continent can weaken and remove part of its dense root, making the continent lighter and more buoyant, like a hot air balloon rising after dropping its ballast.

From Science Daily • Nov. 25, 2025

Your sandals slap against the sidewalk as cars whoosh by, sending waves of hot air that hit you one after the other.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Related Words

• wind