Question

Choose the correct meaning of the given phrase
‘To beat the air”
a. To make vain efforts
b. To brag and boast
c. To give airs
d. To submit
e. To acknowledge defeat

Answer 1

Hint: A phrase is a group of words that stands together as a single unit expressing a concept or a sentence put into a particular form of words. You can deduce the meaning of a phrase by looking at the contribution of each word, that way you can make out the meaning for the phrase.

Complete answer:
The phrase – to beat the air means to keep on doing something despite seeing its pointlessness or futility.
a) After understanding the meaning of the phrase, you would see that something similar is defined by the option –a, i.e. to make vain efforts.
Therefore, you can see that this is the correct option. But we must look into other options, what they mean and why they are not correct. So, option -
b) To brag and boost means to speak too proudly or tell everyone about something you did or something you possess.
c) To give airs means to act or show that you are better than others.
d) To submit means to accept someone’s superiority or someone’s authority.
e) To acknowledge defeat means to admit failure or defeat.

Note: There are few basic differences and similarities between idioms and phrases. Do not get confused between the two. Idioms can be understood if you know the meaning but you can easily deduce the meanings of phrases.