Meanings
nounair quote (plural air quotes)
plural air quotes
- plural normallyA typically two-handed gesture resembling quotation marks, indicating that the gesturer is speaking ironically or using unusual terminology.
You could hear the air quotes around ‘chill’ when he said it.
2020, Ben Aaronovitch, False Value, Gollancz, page 11Synonyms: finger quote
- broadlyplural normallyAn emphatic tone of voice used to indicate a euphemism, or displeasure with a false or inaccurate phrase being quoted.
"So you were out with 'the boys'," she said vexedly, putting air quotes around the last two words.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA typically two-handed gesture resembling quotation marks, indicating that the gesturer is speaking ironically or using unusual terminology.
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Also see
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 引號手勢 /引号手势
- 引號手勢 /引号手势 (yǐnhào shǒushì)hand gesture
Finnish ilmalainausmerkki
- ilmalainausmerkkihand gesture
French guillemets ironiques
- guillemets ironiqueshand gesture
Japanese エアクオート
- エアクオートhand gesture
Korean 따옴표
- 따옴표 (ttaompyo)hand gesture
Norwegian Bokmål hermetegn
- hermetegnhand gesture
Polish znak cudzysłowu narysowany palcami w powietrzu
- znak cudzysłowu narysowany palcami w powietrzuhand gesture
Portuguese aspas no ar
- aspas no arhand gesture
Spanish entre comillas, entre comillas con los dedos
- entre comillashand gesture
- entre comillas con los dedoshand gesture
- comillas aéreashand gesture
- comillas dactilareshand gesture
Cite this entry
APA
air quote. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/air%20quote
MLA
“air quote.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/air%20quote. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “air quote,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/air%20quote.
Source: air quote on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.