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

An airbrush machine, for one, to deliver a live tutorial of the glass skin that shattered the internet—and changed the backstage beauty landscape forever. —Arden Fanning Andrews, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2024

Guests had the opportunity to get airbrush tattoos, take pictures in a photo booth and buy event T-shirts. —Fielding Buck, Orange County Register, 14 Oct. 2024

Verb

Whether due to a trick of lighting, makeup or actual VFX work, there are moments when the actors look so airbrushed as to seem not quite real. —Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Oct. 2024

Nor can airbrushed coverage fully supplant the information that flows in the digital age, or assuage the resentment that Turkish citizens feel toward untrammeled authority. —Nate Schenkkan, Foreign Affairs, 21 June 2019

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1884, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1907, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing airbrush

• airbrush out

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