Colloquial Variant guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
No pronunciation record was provided for this word.
noun
A shot that misses the backboard, rim and net entirely.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: ball-games, basketball, games, hobbies, lifestyle, sports
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
An unfunny joke or remark.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: slang
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To throw an airball.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Topics: ball-games, basketball, games, hobbies, lifestyle, sports
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To make an awfully unfunny joke or remark.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: slang
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
* From air + ball. * The first recorded use of the "airball" chant was on February 24, 1979, during a college basketball game between the Duke University Blue Devils and the North Carolina Tar Heels after the Tar Heels' Rich Yonakor took a shot which missed the rim.
Across languages
1 source translations are retained for this English entry.
