air guitar

American  

noun

1. an imaginary guitar that one pretends to be playing.

   a fan playing air guitar along with the band.

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air guitar British  

noun

1. an imaginary guitar played while miming to rock music

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Other Word Forms

• air guitarist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of air guitar

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

air guitar

This was, he claimed, evidence of him performing "air guitar", nothing else.

From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2023

But each one catches your eye with small-scale wonders and charm: Culbreath busting out some air guitar and the Moonwalk, Emily Pietruszka popping like a fierce robot.

From New York Times ● Jul. 14, 2023

While teammates pushed hard on their headphones to hear their nonmetal music, Murphy was playing air guitar and drums in between sets of lifts, nodding his head and attacking his workout.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 3, 2023

Not to his adoring public, some of whom likely strummed out some air guitar riffs in parasocial celebration.

From Salon ● Jun. 1, 2022

He started humming the bass line and playing air guitar as we waited for the elevator.

From "Auggie & Me" by R. J. Palacio