Thin air Meaning in English
expression
ˈθɪn/ /ˈɛɹ
THIN AIR
θˈɪn/ /ˈeə
thin AIR
Definition
'Thin air' is an expression that means 'out of nowhere' or 'from nothing'. It can also literally mean air at high altitudes with little oxygen.
Usage & Nuances
Most often used with verbs like 'appear' or 'disappear': 'out of thin air', 'vanished into thin air'. The figurative meaning ('from nowhere') is much more common than the literal one. Not formal; everyday and creative writing.
Spanish: la nada - el aire (delgado) (sentido literal)Portuguese (BR): do nada - ar rarefeito (sentido literal)Portuguese (PT): do nada - ar rarefeito (sentido literal)Chinese (Simplified): 凭空 - 稀薄的空气（字面意思）Chinese (Traditional): 憑空 - 稀薄的空氣（字面意思）Hindi: अचानक - पतली हवा (शाब्दिक अर्थ)Arabic: من العدم - الهواء الرقيق (المعنى الحرفي)Bengali: হাওয়া - হাওয়া (হঠাৎ, কোনো উৎস ছাড়া)Russian: воздух - из ниоткуда (фигурально)Japanese: 何もないところ（から） - 薄い空気（高所の）Vietnamese: hư không - không khí loãng (ở độ cao)Korean: 허공 - 산소가 적은 공기 (고산)Turkish: hiçlikten - ince hava (yüksek rakım)Urdu: ہوا - کہیں سے بھی نہیں (اچانک ظاہر ہونا)Indonesian: udara tipis - entah dari mana
Example Sentences
The magician made the rabbit appear out of thin air.
basic
The plane disappeared into thin air.
basic
He seemed to come out of thin air.
basic
These ideas didn’t just come from thin air; we did a lot of research.
natural
He vanished into thin air before anyone could stop him.
natural
You can't expect solutions to problems to appear out of thin air.
natural