What does nothing but hot air mean?

Author: Olen Bruen  |  Last update: Wednesday, September 3, 2025

Empty, exaggerated talk, as in That last speech of his was pure hot air . It is also put as full of hot air , as in Pay no attention to Howard—he's full of hot air . This metaphoric term transfers heated air to vaporous talk. [ Late 1800s]

What does "hot air" mean in slang?

US, Slang. empty or pretentious talk or writing.

What does not just hot air mean?

If you say that someone's claims or promises are just hot air, you are criticizing them because they are made mainly to impress people and have no real value or meaning.

What is the meaning of the phrase nothing but?

only; no more than: This car has been nothing but trouble - it's always breaking down!

What does it mean when someone says they are full of hot air?

full of hot air (comparative more full of hot air, superlative most full of hot air) (idiomatic) Talking a lot, especially without saying anything of value or meaning.

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What does it's just hot air mean?

Informal. empty, exaggerated, or pretentious talk or writing: His report on the company's progress was just so much hot air.

What do you call someone full of hot air?

full of hot air (adjective as in boastful) Strongest matches. arrogant bombastic cocky exultant pompous pretentious.

What does nothing but useless mean?

adjective. having no use; unserviceable; worthless. to no purpose; ineffectual; of no avail.

What does the slang no but mean?

used to emphasize that something will happen even if the person you are talking to does not want it to: We're going to visit your aunt tomorrow and there'll be no buts about it.

What does no hot air mean?

loud and confused and empty talk. synonyms: empty talk, empty words, palaver, rhetoric. bunk, hokum, meaninglessness, nonsense, nonsensicality. a message that seems to convey no meaning.

What does the idiom cut your own throat mean?

: to do something that is bad for oneself : to act in a way that will cause oneself harm. They ended up cutting their own throats when they raised prices, because their customers went elsewhere.

What does the idiom hen pecked mean?

Britannica Dictionary definition of HENPECKED. informal. — used to describe a man who is constantly controlled and criticized by his wife.

What is the meaning of the idiom hot air?

idiom informal. If something that someone says is hot air, it is not sincere and will have no practical results: His promises turned out to be a lot of hot air.

What is slang for zero?

In certain contexts, zero and nothing are interchangeable, as is "null". Sporting terms are sometimes used as slang terms for zero, as are "nada", "zilch" and "zip".

How do you say "nothing" in a cool way?

Synonyms
  1. zero.
  2. naught.
  3. none.
  4. cipher.
  5. nix.
  6. goose egg. Slang.
  7. duck egg. Slang.
  8. zilch. Slang.

What do you call a person who does nothing?

person who does no work. synonyms: bum, idler, layabout, loafer.

What does "anything but chocolate" mean?

Give me anything but chocolate. means I can eat all kinds of food except chocolate. I will eat everything but the chocolate. means I am going to have all the food in front of me except the chocolate.

What does nothing but impossible mean?

Nothing is impossible- This means that anything is possible. However, just because something is possible does not mean that it is easy, or that it should be done at all. If you use this statement, you are probably referring to something which is very difficult to accomplish.

Does useless mean worthless?

Worthless means it has no value or worth. Useless means it has no use (usually for a particular purpose). Worthless is a stronger term because an item could be useless but not worthless. For example : a gold ring would have value or worth but would be useless as a screwdriver.

When someone is full of hot air?

If something that someone says is hot air, it is not sincere and will have no practical results: His promises turned out to be a lot of hot air.

What does mostly hot air mean?

empty, exaggerated, or pretentious talk or writing: His report on the company's progress was just so much hot air.

Where did the phrase hot air come from?

Actually, the earliest record of this idiom was most likely written by the author Mark Twain. In the book titled Gilded Age (written in 1873), he wrote "The most airy schemes inflated the hot air of the Capital." This was in reference to the lies politicians often tell.

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