put on airs
To become haughty, to assume a pretentious manner.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He puts on airs whenever he talks to his new rich friends.”
“She started putting on airs after her promotion, acting as if she were better than her old colleagues.”
“Despite his humble beginnings, he began to put on airs, adopting an affected accent and distancing himself from the community that raised him.”
- 01
give oneself airs
To act pretentiously, or in a snobbish manner; to swagger.
- 02
lipstick on a pig
To make superficial or cosmetic changes to something in a doomed attempt to disguise its fundamental flaws.
- 03
not to put too fine a point on it
Used to apologize for a possibly impolite statement one is making; to put it bluntly; to express it in plain terms.
- 04
put a band-aid on a bullet wound
To inadequately treat a serious situation.
- 05
put a blanket over
Make (something) seem less serious.
- 06
put a bug in someone's ear
To make a small suggestion or give a hint that causes the listener to act.
- 07
put a damper on
To stop people from enjoying an activity.
- 08
put a foot wrong
To make a mistake.
Last updated August 10, 2026