What does "airbag" mean?

A protective system in automobiles in which when a crash occurs, a bag containing nitrogen, formed by the explosive decomposition of sodium azide, quickly inflates in front of the driver or passenger, preventing injury to the head. Side air bags, including the back seat passengers, also prevent injury.

What is a synonym for "airbag"?

Common synonyms include: babblemouth, blabbermouth, blatherskite, chatterbox, motormouth.

Airbag

noun, slang

noun, slang ·2 syllables ·Moderate ·College level

Definitions

Noun

1
A protective system in automobiles in which when a crash occurs, a bag containing nitrogen, formed by the explosive decomposition of sodium azide, quickly inflates in front of the driver or passenger, preventing injury to the head. Side air bags, including the back seat passengers, also prevent injury.
"In a fast German car / I'm amazed that I survived / An airbag saved my life"
2
A similar inflated bag used in performing stunts, or for lifting objects in firefighting, etc.
"As part of a scene in a movie, a stuntman falls from the top of a 95-foot-tall building into a large airbag directly below him on the ground, as shown in Figure 15-3."
3
A person who talks too much; a windbag or gossip. slang

Synonyms

All synonyms

babblemouth blabbermouth blatherskite chatterbox motormouth

Example

More examples

"The reason why he didn't make it in that accident was because his airbag didn't trigger properly."

Etymology

From air + bag.

Related phrases

sodium azide

More for "airbag"

Synonyms Sentences Pronunciation Translate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonyms See usage examples Check pronunciation Browse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.