Standard Lemma guide

vaporware

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

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

Pronunciation

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.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈveɪ.pə.wɛə(ɹ)/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: vāʹpərwâr
  • US: /ˈveɪpɚwɛɹ/
  • CMU ARPABET: V EY1 P ER0 W EH2 R Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An advertised product, often computer software, whose launch has not happened yet and might not ever happen.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English vapor Proto-Indo-European *sem- Proto-Germanic *samþuz /*samftuz Proto-Germanic *-jaz Proto-West Germanic *-ī Proto-West Germanic *samft(ī) Old English sōfte Middle English softe English soft Proto-Germanic *warō Proto-West Germanic *waru Old English waru Middle English ware English -ware English softwarebf. English -ware English vaporware From vapor + -ware.

Across languages

Translations

2 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • French: fumiciel — An advertised product, whose launch is questionable
  • Indonesian: peranti gaib — An advertised product, whose launch is questionable