LIGHTER-THAN-AIR Synonyms: 40 Similar and Opposite Words

lighter-than-air

adjective

Definition of lighter-than-air

as in weightless

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of lighter-than-air An earlier version of this year’s bill would have banned all sales of lighter-than-air balloons in the state. — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 22 Apr. 2026 But even at Thanksgiving, this lighter-than-air pie filling is welcome amid a sea of other, thicker custard pies. — Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 18 Feb. 2026 The city already has regulations including restrictions on single-use plastic bags for carryout, plastic straws and stirrers, and balloons filled with helium or other lighter-than-air gasses. — Luke Harold, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Jan. 2026 Still, Leishman said interest in lighter-than-air ships has been cyclical, waxing and waning over time. — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 22 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lighter-than-air

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lighter-than-air

Adjective

One bottle promises the nourishment of oil and the weightless finish of a serum.

— Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
Priced at $1,450, the pumps add an almost weightless quality to the outfit, with their barely-there construction echoing the transparency of the ribbon skirt.

— Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of weightless

Adjective

Brush Air’s Design and Daily Use Brush Air offers a slim, pen-style design with four brushing modes, which Bixdo presents as a lightweight option for travel.

— Advertorial, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026
The company offers a lightweight, easy-to-navigate product that feels intuitive and non-intrusive.

— Stephanie Barnes, PC Magazine, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of lightweight

Adjective

In the Christian tradition, these words are a grim warning of our transience, the vaporous substance of our lives.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 31 Aug. 2026
Hz [Warp] Warp lodestars Seefeel are most recognizable for their vaporous blend of shoegaze, ambient, and experimental electronic music.

— Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 1 May 2026

Definition of vaporous

Adjective

In the first installment, most of the kids are buoyant, unaware, their eyes glittering with naïveté.

— Lauren Jackson, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
At Christie’s on Tuesday night, the underbidding activity was buoyant for many European Old Masters and established contemporary Asian artists, from Peter Paul Rubens to Liu Ye, now in his 60s.

— Hok-hang Cheung, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of buoyant

Adjective

Roadmaps are frequently high-level and unsubstantial.

— Peter Bendor-Samuel, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
This can alter the amount and types of ACE-inhibiting peptides created during fermentation2—and possibly account for kombucha's unsubstantial effect on blood pressure.

— MD Published, Verywell Health, 27 Dec. 2025

Definition of unsubstantial

Adjective

In the 2030s, aging party leaders living in rarefied Zhongnanhai compounds may look out and see superficial stability.

— Carl Minzner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026
On road, the KB998 Rimini’s rarity factor should only bolster Bimota’s already rarefied status.

— Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of rarefied

Adjective

What can’t go unremarked upon, though, is the surpassing wonder of Dennis Gassner and Richard Johnson’s production design, a near-Brechtian marvel of diaphanous screens, rotating parts, and other ingenious devices.

— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026
Jacquard, mesh and fil coupé raffia created dynamic three-dimensional effects, and a diaphanous oversize trenchcoat reflected Gonella’s fabric research.

— Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of diaphanous

Adjective

Tying all this to a generic RPG progression system full of constant but insubstantial upgrades and resources feels more like busywork than anything else.

— Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 18 Sep. 2026
But too few of those ideas yield satisfying conclusions, resulting in a drama that becomes treacly and insubstantial, reaching for a profundity that remains elusive.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2026

Definition of insubstantial

Browse Nearby Words

lighters

lighter-than-air

light-fingered

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Lighter-than-air.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lighter-than-air. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of lighter-than-air

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

nexus

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes