airy

/ˈeəri/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈeri/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈer-ē/ (ame, mw)

airy — 形容詞

1. Used to describe a room, building, or other indoor space that feels open and ple

1.形容詞B2
釋義

通風明亮的

空間寬敞、空氣流通且採光佳的

Used to describe a room, building, or other indoor space that feels open and pleasant because it has high ceilings, big windows, or good airflow moving through it.

例句

Wairimu rented a bright, airy loft above the bakery on Kifissia Street.

Wairimu 在 Kifissia 街那家麵包店樓上租了一間明亮通風的閣樓。

attributive: airy + noun (room/loft)

The new yoga studio felt cool and airy even on hot August afternoons.

新的瑜伽教室即使在八月炎熱的午後，依然涼爽通風。

predicative: feel/seem + airy

同義詞
  • spacious

    stresses size and room to move; 'airy' adds the feel of fresh air and light

  • well-ventilated

    more technical; focuses on air circulation rather than overall pleasant feel

  • bright

    stresses light only, not air or openness

反義詞
  • stuffy

    the direct opposite — closed-in and lacking fresh air

  • cramped

    small and crowded, lacking space

文法句型

airy + noun (room, kitchen, loft)

用法筆記

Almost always positive in tone. Subject is typically an enclosed indoor space (room, hall, office, café, loft); rarely used of outdoor scenes.

常見錯誤

❌The garden is very airy in spring.
✅The garden is very breezy in spring.
💡'airy' describes indoor spaces with good ventilation, not outdoor weather.

2. Describes food, fabric, or other materials that feel soft and almost weightless,

2.形容詞B2
釋義

輕盈蓬鬆的

口感或質地輕得像充滿空氣

Describes food, fabric, or other materials that feel soft and almost weightless, as though they contain a lot of tiny pockets of air.

例句

Aunt Rosa's lemon soufflé came out of the oven beautifully airy and golden.

Rosa 阿姨的檸檬舒芙蕾出爐時蓬鬆飽滿、色澤金黃。

food texture: airy soufflé / cake / mousse

Bao wore a long, airy summer dress made of pale blue cotton.

Bao 穿著一件淡藍色棉布製的、長而輕盈的夏季洋裝。

fabric: airy dress / scarf / curtain

同義詞
  • fluffy

    specifically about a soft, puffed-up texture; 'airy' adds the sense of being almost weightless

  • light

    general; 'airy' suggests the lightness comes from air pockets

  • delicate

    stresses fineness; may not imply air specifically

反義詞
  • dense

    tightly packed, no air pockets

  • heavy

    general weight contrast

文法句型

airy + noun (food, fabric)

用法筆記

Frequent with food prepared by whipping or folding (soufflés, mousses, cakes, foams) and with light summer textiles. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 modifies a substance, sense 1 modifies a space.

常見錯誤

❌The bread is heavy and airy.
✅The bread is light and airy.
💡'airy' implies lightness, so pairing it with 'heavy' contradicts the meaning.

3. Describes the way someone speaks or behaves when they treat something important

3.形容詞C1
釋義

輕描淡寫的

態度漫不經心、不當一回事的

Describes the way someone speaks or behaves when they treat something important as if it does not really matter to them, often in a relaxed or slightly dismissive way.

例句

The minister dismissed the journalists' questions with an airy wave of his hand.

部長輕輕揮了揮手，便把記者的問題打發過去。

fixed phrase: airy wave (of the hand)

Hadiya answered his mother's worries in an airy tone, as if the exam meant nothing.

Hadiya 用一種滿不在乎的語氣回應母親的擔心，彷彿那場考試一點也不重要。

register: in an airy tone / manner

同義詞
  • nonchalant

    neutral; 'airy' often hints the speaker disapproves

  • offhand

    specifically about remarks made without much thought

  • dismissive

    stronger; clearly rejects what the other person said

反義詞
  • serious

    treating the matter with full attention

  • earnest

    showing sincere concern

文法句型

airy + manner noun (wave, tone, remark, manner)

用法筆記

Often carries a mildly negative judgement: the speaker thinks the person is being too casual about something serious. Common with manner nouns: wave, gesture, tone, remark, laugh, manner.

常見錯誤

❌He felt very airy about losing his job.
✅He was very casual about losing his job.
💡'airy' describes the outward manner (a tone or gesture), not the inner feeling.

4. Describes promises, theories, or plans that sound nice but have no solid basis a

4.形容詞C1
釋義

空泛不實的

聽起來好聽但缺乏實質內容

Describes promises, theories, or plans that sound nice but have no solid basis and are unlikely ever to lead to anything real — for example, vague campaign pledges or grand ideas with no concrete steps.

例句

Voters were tired of the candidate's airy promises about ending poverty.

選民已經厭倦了候選人那些消除貧窮的空洞承諾。

airy + promises / pledges

His business plan was full of airy talk and no real numbers.

他的商業計畫充滿空話，卻沒有任何實際數字。

airy talk vs concrete detail

同義詞
  • vague

    lacking detail; 'airy' adds the sense of being impractical or unreal

  • insubstantial

    formal; matches well but more abstract

  • fanciful

    stresses imagination; 'airy' stresses lack of practical grounding

反義詞

文法句型

airy + noun (promise, theory, talk)

用法筆記

Always disparaging. Distinguish from sense 3: sense 3 describes a manner of speaking; sense 4 describes the content itself as lacking substance. Subject is typically an idea, plan, promise, or theory — not a person.

常見錯誤

❌She is an airy person who never keeps her word.
✅She makes airy promises and never keeps her word.
💡'airy' in this sense modifies what is said, not the person who says it.