airbrush

1 of 2

noun

air·​brush ˈer-ˌbrəsh 

: an atomizer for applying by compressed air a fine spray (as of paint or liquid color)

airbrush

2 of 2

verb

airbrushed; airbrushing; airbrushes

transitive verb

: to paint, treat, or alter (as to conceal imperfections) with or as if with an airbrush

airbrush a photograph

Examples of airbrush in a Sentence

Verb

That photograph must have been airbrushed.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Celebrity nail artist Queenie Nguyen painted a black half-moon at the base of the nail and a diffused airbrush effect on the tip against a dark neon pink base. —Audrey Noble, Vogue, 10 Jan. 2025

Shields had built a career as a graphic designer and airbrush artist, creating T-shirts with images of rock stars. —Daniella Walsh, Orange County Register, 7 Dec. 2024

Verb

Techniques for the creation of the hat include moulding, hand sculpting and airbrushing with a dark chocolate cocoa butter. —Laia Farran Graves, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025

Nominated for Best Actress for her performance in Wicked, Cynthia Erivo arrived in a white French tip manicure airbrushed with a faint, hazy green (and gold embellishments, of course). —India Espy-Jones, Essence, 8 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1884, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1907, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing airbrush

• airbrush out

Rhymes for airbrush

• hairbrush
• inrush
• onrush
• paintbrush
• sagebrush
• blush
• brush
• crush
• flush
• gush
• hush
• lush

Kids Definition

airbrush

noun

air·​brush

ˈa(ə)r-ˌbrəsh,

ˈe(ə)r-

: a device that uses compressed air to apply a liquid (as paint or a protective coating) as a fine spray

airbrush verb