airbrush
/ˈeəbrʌʃ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈerbrʌʃ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈer-ˌbrəsh/ (ame, mw) · /ˈeə.brʌʃ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈer.brʌʃ/ (ame, ipa)
airbrush — noun
- airbrushsingular
- airbrushesplural
1. a small handheld device that pushes paint or ink out as a fine mist by forcing c
a small handheld device that pushes paint or ink out as a fine mist by forcing compressed air through a narrow nozzle, used by artists, illustrators, makeup artists, and photo retouchers to lay down very smooth, even coats of colour.
Nadia bought her first airbrush to paint the dragon on her motorcycle helmet.
buy / use an airbrush
The makeup artist set up her airbrush before the bride arrived for photos.
occupational tool: makeup airbrush
A good airbrush can lay down colour so evenly that brush marks disappear.
Amara cleaned the tiny nozzle of her airbrush after every model car she painted.
There were three airbrushes on the studio bench, each loaded with a different shade of grey.
文法句型
with an airbrush
use an airbrush
用法筆記
Subject of 'use' or instrument introduced by 'with': 'paint something with an airbrush'. Plural form 'airbrushes' is fully regular. The tool is distinct from a spray gun, which is larger and used for walls, cars, and furniture rather than fine artwork.
常見錯誤
airbrush — verb
- airbrushpresent simple I / you / we / they
- airbrushes3rd person singular
- airbrushing-ing form
- airbrushedpast simple
1. to digitally edit a photo, story, or record so that flaws, people, or facts that
to digitally edit a photo, story, or record so that flaws, people, or facts that someone would rather hide no longer appear — for example, smoothing wrinkles off a model's face on a magazine cover, or quietly removing a disgraced politician from old group photos so it looks like they were never there.
The magazine was caught airbrushing the singer's waist to make her look thinner.
airbrush + body part / image feature
After the scandal, the dictator's son was airbrushed out of every official portrait.
passive + 'airbrushed out of' (sanitize history)
Critics said the new history textbook had airbrushed the country's wartime crimes.
Paloma refused to airbrush the freckles out of her wedding photos because she loved them.
Old team photos at the company had been carefully airbrushed to remove the founder who had left in disgrace.
- retouch
neutral; usually about improving photos, without the 'hide the truth' undertone
- photoshop
informal verb from the brand; covers any digital photo edit
- whitewash
stronger; used when uncomfortable facts are deliberately covered up
- sanitize
formal; remove anything offensive or embarrassing from a record
- expose
the opposite move: bring hidden facts into the open
文法句型
airbrush + object
airbrush something out (of something)
airbrush someone from + place
用法筆記
Frequently passive ('was airbrushed', 'had been airbrushed') and very often combined with 'out' or 'out of' when something is removed entirely. The figurative use — about hiding facts, people, or history — is now more common in everyday news writing than the literal photo-editing use.
常見錯誤
2. to spray paint, ink, or makeup onto a surface using an airbrush, so that the col
to spray paint, ink, or makeup onto a surface using an airbrush, so that the colour goes on as a soft mist rather than as visible brush strokes.
The student airbrushed soft pink clouds across the top of her canvas.
airbrush + object + across/onto + surface
Diego airbrushed flames onto the side of the old red truck.
airbrush + object + onto + surface (typical art pattern)
Many car shops will airbrush a custom design onto your helmet for a small fee.
The bride's cheeks were airbrushed with a light golden tone before the ceremony.
Mei airbrushed the model dinosaur in three shades of green to make the skin look real.
- spray-paint
broader; can be done with any pressurised can, not just an airbrush
- spray
general verb; airbrush implies a precise, artistic finish
文法句型
airbrush + object
airbrush + object + onto + surface
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: this sense involves real paint or makeup going onto a real surface. Sense 1 is metaphorical — about editing images or facts, not physical painting. If a real airbrush, real paint, and a real object are all present, you want this sense.