aura
nounUK /ˈɔːɹə/ · AU, UK, NZ /ˈoːɹə/
Etymology Borrowed from Latin aura (“a breeze, a breath of air, the air”), from Ancient Greek αὔρα (aúra, “breeze, soft wind”), from ἀήρ (aḗr, “air”). Doublet of east, auster, air, and aria. The slang sense originated in the early 2020s and was popularized on TikTok around May 2024.
7 senses
- 1A subtle emanation or exhalation of any substance, such…
- 2A distinctive atmosphere or quality surrounding or…
- 3A supposed emanation from and surrounding a living…
- 4The charisma or suave excellence of a person, especially…
- 5A subjective sensation experienced at the onset of a…
- 6A surrounding.
- 7A gentle breeze, a zephyr.
A subtle emanation or exhalation of any substance, such as an aroma or odour.
- Clare had studied the curves of those lips so many times that he could reproduce them mentally with ease: and now, as they again confronted him, clothed with colour and life, they sent an aura over his flesh, a breeze through his nerves, which well nigh produced a qualm; and actually produced, by some mysterious physiological process, a prosaic sneeze.1891, Thomas Hardy, Tess of the d’Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented […], volume II, London: James R[ipley] Osgood, McIlvaine and Co., […], →OCLC, phase the third (The Rally), page 38:
Figuratively, With about A distinctive atmosphere or quality surrounding or associated with something or someone.
- This place has an aura of 19th century Paris.
- His latest successes have endued him with an aura of invincibility.
2 more examples
- One might subsume the eliminated element in the term “aura” and go on to say: that which withers in the age of mechanical reproduction is the aura of the work of art.1936, Harry Zohn, transl., The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, translation of Das Kunstwerk im Zeitalter seiner technischen Reproduzierbarkeit by Walter Benjamin:
- Darwinism and related theories in anthropology and sociology helped to give an aura of respectability to racism in both Europe and America.1993 [1972], Norman Coombs, The Black Experience in America:
Parapsychology, Pseudoscience Also A supposed emanation from and surrounding a living person or thing, regarded by mystics as consisting of the essence of the individual.
- Enough then, that I not only recognised my natural body from the mere aura and effulgence of certain of the powers that made up my spirit, […].1886 January 5, Robert Louis Stevenson, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., →OCLC:
Internet The charisma or suave excellence of a person, especially implying their vibe or energy.
- Near-synonym: rizz
- He has insane aura.
4 more examples
- Tht Nigga [Adolf Hitler] has no aura He dress like a medieval Queer2023 December 20, @sugarsmorecake, Twitter, archived from the original on 06 Jun 2024:
- how can he still have aura even without showing his face2024 February 26, @lfcemii, Twitter, archived from the original on 06 Jun 2024:
- this genuinely shocked me omfg his aura is insane 😭2024 June 2, @opaltaerae, Twitter, archived from the original on 06 Jun 2024:
- My fav aura losses are rm exposing Taehyun Infront^([sic]) of jongkook, Yeonjun hugging the air while coi leray was hugging Beomgyu, huening doing that one dance in front of the ladies and everyone at the GDA(correct me if I'm wrong)lol2024 June 3, u/Ship_per, “What's your faves biggest aura loss?”, in Reddit, r/kpop_uncensored, archived from the original on 06 Jun 2024:
A surrounding.
- It was not the kind of face he had expected to see at all. It was young, smooth-skinned, heart-shaped, surrounded by an aura of vivid titian hair that coiled luxuriantly.1965, Attila Zohar, Kings Cross Black Magic, Sydney: Horwitz Publications, page 80:
Obsolete A gentle breeze, a zephyr.
- Derived terms
- angel aura, aqua aura, auraed, aura farm, aura farming, auraful, auraless, auralike, auratic, auric, flame aura, hype moments and aura, opal aura, pearl aura