Search

in a gay or breezy manner; jauntily.
lightly; delicately.
contemporary examples

coakley airily suggested that maybe she could hold a fundraiser.
the kennedys react lloyd grove january 20, 2010

“something to do with bankruptcy and an ancient honorary decree,” she said, airily.
freud’s artistic legacy casey schwartz january 24, 2011

historical examples

g-d’s wrath must be harder to bear than the bitter humiliation to which her mother had so airily condemned her.
a bride of the plains baroness emmuska orczy

“this morning—you’re just in time, as usual,” said georges, airily.
lorraine robert w. chambers

oh,” he said airily, “i told him to keep his pig of a child away from the white chief.
wanderings among south sea savages and in borneo and the philippines h. wilfrid walker

“i hardly feel that i’ve begun this inquiry yet,” said winter airily.
the strange case of mortimer fenley louis tracy

you go on airily: ‘i’m pretty sure i can bring twenty thousand pounds’ worth of ads.
books and persons arnold bennett

henry (airily, with a typically british desire to conceal his emotion).
happy days alan alexander milne

“g-d knows,” said davy airily, preparing to resume his reading.
anne of the island lucy maud montgomery

“what we want is to administer a tonic to the conference in milan,” he said airily.
the secret agent joseph conrad

adverb
in a jaunty or high-spirited manner
in a light or delicate manner
adv.

1766, from airy “with ostentatious air” (see air (n.2)) + -ly (2).