airtight

Meanings

1. 1adjectivenot comparable

   Sealed so completely that no air or gas can get in or out.

   Grammar: Usually before a noun or after linking verbs like be and seem.

   Patterns

   • an airtight container
   • keep something airtight

   Store the flour in an airtight container to keep it fresh.

   The lid is not airtight, so the coffee loses its flavor quickly.

2. 2adjectivenot comparablefigurative

   So complete and carefully prepared that no weakness, error, or doubt is possible.

   Grammar: Used before nouns like alibi, case, argument, and plan.

   Patterns

   • an airtight alibi
   • an airtight argument

   The lawyer produced an airtight alibi supported by security footage.

   Unless your plan is airtight, the investors will find a flaw in it.

Common combinations

airtight container

Leftovers keep longer if you put them in an airtight container.

airtight seal

Check that the jar has an airtight seal before storing jam.

an airtight alibi

Three witnesses gave him an airtight alibi for that evening.

an airtight case

The documents gave the investigators an airtight case against the company.

Synonyms and how they differ

watertight

Very close in meaning; used for both containers and arguments, slightly more common for legal cases and contracts.

hermetic

Describes a very strict seal, often technical, and rarely used figuratively for arguments.

flawless

Means perfect without faults, but says nothing about air or sealing.

Opposites

Word family

air noun

The gas that surrounds the earth; part of the compound.

tight adjective

Firmly closed or sealed; part of the compound.

airtightness noun

The quality of being sealed against air, used in engineering.

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “airtight”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words