Word.ws English Dictionary

giving someone the air

giving someone the air is the present participle and gerund of give someone the air.

Meaning of give someone the air

Verb

give someone the air (third-person singular simple present gives someone the air, present participle giving someone the air, simple past gave someone the air, past participle given someone the air)

  1. (dated, slang) To jilt or ditch a lover.
    • “The slick-haired dame's give him the air!” he says.1927, Sunset, volume 59, page 64

Questions about giving someone the air

What is giving someone the air the present participle and gerund of?
Giving someone the air is the present participle and gerund of give someone the air.

Words near giving someone the air in the dictionary

  1. giving someone Jesse
  2. giving someone Jessie
  3. giving someone line
  4. giving someone one
  5. giving someone something to think about
  6. giving someone the air
  7. giving someone the arm
  8. giving someone the bag
  9. giving someone the boot
  10. giving someone the brush-off
  11. giving someone the business

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: giving someone the air (page history and authors); give someone the air (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.

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