in the air

I

in the air

Meaning | Synonyms

• something like a mood that everybody can feel
• you can sense/feel/smell/taste it but not see it
• it might be a change in the atmosphere or temperature
• an anticipation that something is happening or going to happen

Example Sentences

1. You could feel the tension in the air as everyone waited to hear the announcement.
2. There was great excitement in the air at the clock struck midnight.
3. I felt the chill in the air as autumn approaches.
4. The smell of spices in the air was making me hungry.
5. He could taste the salt in the air as he got nearer to the coast.

Origin

We use this idiom to show that there is a collective feeling or mood. It is not a physical thing that you can see. It’s more of a sense of something changing or happening. It is not always a good feeling either, it can be a negative feeling like if the home team loses a match and the crowd is upset.

You may hear someone say that romance is ‘in the air’ around Valentine’s Day or that spring is ‘in the air’ on the first warm day after winter. The collective excitement in the air of the children on the last day of term for example.

Feeling