1
as in rhetoric
boastful speech or writing
his taking credit for the rescue was mostly hot air, since the boat was actually saved by the Coast Guard
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in wind
language that is impressive-sounding but not meaningful or sincere
her campaign promise to "fight for the people" showed a taste for stale hot air
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hot air
Thirty hot air balloons are scheduled to participate in morning launches at 7:35 a.m. Feb. 8 and 9.
—
Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 22 Jan. 2025
Infinity Pro by Conair Hot Air Styling Brush Set
This Conair hot air style brush with more than 4,800 five-star reviews is on sale for just $50.
—Kaitlin Gates, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Nov. 2024
Kickoff 2025 with barbecue, art, hot air balloons, international films and Arizona's marquee auto auction.
—Jeremy Duda, Axios, 8 Jan. 2025
This weather phenomenon occurs when a wildfire or other source of intense heat causes hot air to spin and create a column of fire.
—Gary Robbins, The Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for hot air 
Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 22 Jan. 2025
Infinity Pro by Conair Hot Air Styling Brush Set
This Conair hot air style brush with more than 4,800 five-star reviews is on sale for just $50.
—Kaitlin Gates, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Nov. 2024
Kickoff 2025 with barbecue, art, hot air balloons, international films and Arizona's marquee auto auction.
—Jeremy Duda, Axios, 8 Jan. 2025
This weather phenomenon occurs when a wildfire or other source of intense heat causes hot air to spin and create a column of fire.
—Gary Robbins, The Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for hot air
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hot air
Noun
-
Medvedev's comments, posted to Telegram on Saturday, suggested that Vance's rhetoric took European leaders by surprise and aligned with Russian criticisms of Western democracies.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
15 Feb. 2025
-
However, Baird’s Mayfield noted that traders will likely be kept on their toes in regards to trade policy, and will have to learn to live with the uncertainty around the president’s rhetoric on trade.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The humble brag is a new shiny toy for some people.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
5 Dec. 2024
-
The brag quickly caught the attention of Swift fans across social media, who rushed to attack Spector while defending Swift.—
Jackson Thompson,
Fox News,
19 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
When the crowd broke into chatter and shocked reactions, Gomez hung her head.—
Kaitlyn Huamani,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2025
-
In Lorne Michaels’ world, a little loose chatter goes a long way.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
10 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The multi-time Grammy winner ruffled more feathers over the weekend with one of his signature rants on X.—
Armon Sadler,
VIBE.com,
5 Feb. 2025
-
As the Washington Post’s style writers also noted, West isn’t known to be a mentally well human being, having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and known for his public meltdowns and his antisemitic rants.—
Martha Ross,
The Mercury News,
3 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order formally creating a National Energy Dominance Council and directed it to move quickly to drive up already record-setting domestic oil and gas production.—
Matthew Daly,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Feb. 2025
-
Russia was also kicked out of the SWIFT global banking system, while Western nations froze Russia's access to some of its foreign reserves, and Europe froze purchases of Russian oil and gas.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
14 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near hot air
Cite this Entry
“Hot air.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hot%20air. Accessed 19 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share