airgasm

From air +‎ -gasm, or blend of air +‎ orgasm.

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• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈɛəɡaz(ə)m/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈɛəɹ.ɡæz.əm/

airgasm (countable and uncountable, plural airgasms) (slang)

1. A relief or pleasure accompanying an increased quantity of air.
   1. An exhilaration felt during freefall, such as when skydiving or bungee jumping.
      • 1992, Travel Holiday, Volume 175‎^[1], volume 175, Travel Magazine, Incorporated, page 82:

        The hang-ten pros consider the treacherous Banzai Pipeline, on Oahu's rustic North Shore, the ultimate test. If you're just watching, you'll get an "airgasmic" view from the piloted gliders for hire at Dillingham Airfield

      • 1999, Mark Kingwell, Marginalia: A Cultural Reader, Penguin, →ISBN:

        Bungee Safaris, an outfit that takes bungee - maniacs to leap off the 238-foot bridge at Chitna, Alaska, knows it very well. "An extreme 'airgasm'!"

      • 2010 June 2, Rivka Solomon, That Takes Ovaries!: Bold Females and Their Brazen Acts, Crown, →ISBN, page 104:

        "Congratulations," he said. "You just experienced your first airgasm." The sport of skydiving had initiated its newest adrenaline junkie

      • [2013 July 19, James B. Johnson, Lead Me Not: A Romance of Aviation, Wildside Press LLC, →ISBN, page 152:

        Later she found there was a term called "airgasm" explaining the feeling of free-fall.]

      • 2020 August 13, Sambad English Bureau, “‘Airgasm’: New word added to COVID dictionary”, in Sambad English‎^[2], archived from the original on 3 August 2024:

        The ticklish and exhausting feeling that one has to bear all day behind face masks and the sigh of relief that they heave the moment they take them off- that’s called an ‘airgasm.’

   2. A state of mind provided by the air felt after removing a mask.
      • 2020 August 12, Trending Desk, “What is ‘Airgasm’? Know About The New Word in COVID-19 Vocabulary That Is Going Viral”, in India.com‎^[3], archived from the original on 3 February 2026:

        Living in the Covid-19 era, face masks have now become an intrinsic part of our attires, and are absolutely necessary, no doubt. But at the same time, wearing them for a long period of time is extremely exhausting and uncomfortable. We all have experienced that huge sigh of relief after we take off our masks when we can finally breathe properly. ‘Airgasm’ is that exact feeling of relief!

      • 2021 February 25, A G, “The Beginning of Untold Stories”, in SOUL: Stories of 'Ur Life Part-1: The Unlockdown'‎^[4], Blue Rose Publishers, page 3:

        "You should keep your mouth shut, Mr. Al; I am just breathing air and feeling the cool breeze of fresh air hitting my face," says Sap, crossing her arms while narrowing her eyes; she starts to roll her eyes when she notices Al is still laughing while looking at her. "That I can see, but why are you not breathing through your masks right now?" asks Gini, in a slight tone, while frowning. "Because I wanted to feel....Airgasmic, my dear friend Gini", says Sap confidently, while her eyes are facing downwards to the left, then she is looking at Gini, "and for, that "Airgasm" was necessary."

      • [2021 December 15, Dr. Shilpa Aroskar, “Mastering The Mask”, in UBUNTU - I AM BECAUSE WE ARE: Parables of the United Human Spirit‎^[5], Leadstart Publishing Pvt Ltd, →ISBN:

        Apart from the feeling of suffocation, another nuisance of masks is the odour. Airgasm is a new word in the Covid dictionary. It signifies the relief of breathing in fresh air. How often we long to just rip off those masks and take a deep breath! The need of the hour is perhaps perfumed or anti-odour masks, perhaps with floral scents for women and musk for men!]

      • 2024 December 3, Leesa Ronald, “Chapter 3”, in Special Delivery‎^[6], Allen & Unwin, →ISBN:

        The cool air of the supermarket prickled the back of her neck as she grabbed a trolley and manoeuvred it down the aisles. After the sauna of the car and the radiating heat of the car park, the temperature inside was magnificent—almost orgasmic. Poppy bit her lip to stop from laughing at the idea of an aircongasm (an airgasm?) when she realised she was staring at a guy stacking the shelves. He gave her an awkward wave. Oh crap!

• For quotations using this term, see Citations:airgasm.