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

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Etymology

Origin of air guitar

First recorded in 1980–85

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

air guitar

And Hammett was soon playing air guitar with his brother’s tennis racket.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2025

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

"The co-presenter looked like she was having the time of her life playing air guitar and trading quips with a rubber turkey," the Telegraph's Ed Power wrote in his review of the first semi-final.

From BBC ● May 11, 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

He’s always asking me if one day we can play a duet, him on air guitar, me on air cello.

From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman

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