Word.ws English Dictionary

airs and graces

Syllables: airs and gra·ces/ˌɛəz‿n̩ ˈɡɹeɪsɪz/US/ˌɛɚz‿n̩ ˈɡɹeɪsɪz/

airs and graces noun: behaviour adopted to demonstrate (originally) one's good upbringing; or (now) one's superiority; pretentious or snobbish behaviour.

Noun

airs and graces pl (plural only)

  1. (derogatory, plural, plural-only) Behaviour adopted to demonstrate (originally) one's good upbringing; or (now) one's superiority; pretentious or snobbish behaviour.
    • He made a thouſand uggly Faces, / VVhich (as ſometimes in Ladies caſes) / VVere all deſign'd for Airs and Graces.1697, [John Vanbrugh], “[Part I]”, in Æsop. A Comedy. […], 3rd edition, London: […] Richard Wellington, […], published 1702, →OCLC, Act II, page 18
    • Nature has laid out all her airt in beautifying the face; […] giving it airs and graces that cannot be described, and surrounded it with such a flowing shade of hair as sets all its beauties in the most agreeable light.1711 July 2 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison], “THURSDAY, June 22, 1711”, in The Spectator, number 98; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume II...

Synonyms of airs and graces

Words that rhyme with airs and graces

1 more rhymesFewer rhymes

Questions about airs and graces

What does airs and graces mean?
Airs and graces means behaviour adopted to demonstrate (originally) one's good upbringing; or (now) one's superiority; pretentious or snobbish behaviour.
What part of speech is airs and graces?
Airs and graces is a noun.
How do you pronounce airs and graces?
Airs and graces is pronounced /ˌɛəz‿n̩ ˈɡɹeɪsɪz/ (UK).

Words near airs and graces in the dictionary

  1. airprox
  2. airproxes
  3. airpuff
  4. airpuffs
  5. airs
  6. airs and graces
  7. airs de cour
  8. airs off
  9. airs one's dirty laundry in public
  10. airs one's dirty linen in public
  11. airs one's paunch

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: airs and graces (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated:

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-airs and graces.wav.

Cite this entry: “airs and graces.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/airs_and_graces. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.