Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

give someone the air

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.07 in modern English

Syllables: give -some-one the air
IPA

26

Scrabble Score

17

Letters

3

Syllables

12

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To jilt or ditch a lover.

Dated; Slang

Example Sentences

"“The slick-haired dame's give him the air!” he says."
"Mrs. Mac turned back toward downtown and I said, "What do you mean my girl gave me the air? […]"
"Soon, you might think, a lone figure dressed in tails and a top-hat — Fred Astaire, or maybe Gene Kelly — would appear and dance his way from one of those spots to the next, singing about how lonely a fellow could be when his best girl had given him the air and all the bars were closed."

Usage

Dated
Slang

Inflected Forms

gives someone the air (present, singular) giving someone the air (participle, present) gave someone the air (past) given someone the air (participle, past)

Questions

What does give someone the air mean?: To jilt or ditch a lover.

How to pronounce give someone the air

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “give someone the air”.
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