Meaning & use
aerated
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Containing air or gas bubbles, so that a liquid or mixture is fizzy or light.
Grammar: Usually before a noun: aerated water.
Patterns
- aerated water
- aerated chocolate
The shop sells aerated drinks in glass bottles.
Aerated chocolate melts quickly in your mouth.
The batter becomes aerated when you whisk it hard.
adjectivecomparable
Having had air worked into it, as soil that has been loosened so roots and water can reach it.
Grammar: Used in gardening and farming: well aerated soil.
Patterns
- well aerated
- aerated soil
Roots grow better in well aerated soil.
The lawn is thicker once it has been aerated.
A pond needs aerated water to keep the fish alive.
adjectiveafter a verbinformalBritish
Very excited or upset, and unable to stay calm.
Grammar: Informal, mainly British English; usually used after be or get.
Patterns
- get aerated about something
There is no need to get so aerated about a late bus.
He was quite aerated after the argument.
The crowd grew aerated as the match went on.
Common combinations
- aerated water
- Aerated water gives the drink its fizz.
- well aerated soil
- Tomatoes prefer well aerated soil.
- aerated concrete
- Aerated concrete is lighter than normal concrete.
- aerated drinks
- Aerated drinks can be hard on the teeth.
- aerated chocolate
- She bought a bar of aerated chocolate.
Synonyms and how they differ
- fizzy
- Fizzy is the everyday word for a bubbly drink, whereas aerated is more technical and also applies to soil and mixtures.
- carbonated
- Carbonated means specifically filled with carbon dioxide, while aerated may refer to any air or gas.
- bubbly
- Bubbly sounds lively and informal and can describe personalities, which aerated cannot.
- oxygenated
- Oxygenated means treated with oxygen, usually in blood or water, while aerated means air in general.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: aerated or aerobic? aerated or erated?
aerated vs aerobic
Aerobic means needing oxygen, as in exercise or bacteria, while aerated means containing air.
aerated vs erated
There is no word erated; remember it begins with aer- from the Greek for air.
Practice
A gardener pokes holes in a compacted lawn so the grass roots get air. What is she doing?
Choose one answer.
Aerating means letting air into soil, so the lawn becomes aerated. Watering, fertilizing and mowing do not involve letting air in.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “aerated”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.