airily

adverb

Definition of airilynext
as in lively
in a quick and spirited manner sang the ditty airily, tapping his foot in time

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of airily Still, while these surfaces are clearly meant to reflect deeper emotional and cultural truths, Coppola’s mining of them is done glancingly, airily. — Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for airily
  1. lively
  2. playfully
  3. buoyantly
Adverb
  • Fresh dill both in the filling and on top adds herbaceous notes that keep every bite lively.
    — Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The Windjammer The Windjammer is part restaurant, part legendary live-music venue, with a buzzy beachfront setting that keeps things lively well beyond dinner.
    — Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of lively
Adverb
  • As the characters playfully debated the rise of Fascism, the dialogue often felt transcribed from some Brooklyn polycule.
    — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Fitzpatrick playfully responded to Talib in a video Sunday but did not fully address his criticism of Nix until appearing on his podcast.
    — Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of playfully
Adverb
  • The song's interplay between choir and orchestra is buoyantly euphoric, opening a door to bolder, more intentionally progressive and soulful sounds in the country's mainstream.
    — Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 2 May 2025
Definition of buoyantly

Browse Nearby Words

airholes
airily
airiness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Airily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/airily. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All