Dictionary

aura en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈɔːɹə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈoːɹə/ (Australia, British, New-Zealand, Southern, Standard)
• /ˈoɹə/ (Canada, General-American)
• /ˈɔɹə/ (Scotland)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ews- Proto-Indo-European *-r Proto-Indo-European *h₂ewsér Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *h₂éwsr̥h₂ Proto-Hellenic *auhrā Ancient Greek αὔρα (aúra)bor. Latin auralbor. English aura Learned borrowing 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. Sense 4 originated in the early 2020s and was popularized on TikTok around May 2024.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) 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:
2. (countable, figuratively, qualifier:of, uncountable, with about) A distinctive atmosphere or quality surrounding or associated with something or someone.
   • His latest successes have endued him with an aura of invincibility.
   • 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:
   • 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:
   • This place has an aura of 19th century Paris.
3. (also, countable, uncountable) 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:
4. (Internet, uncountable) The charisma or suave excellence of a person, especially implying their vibe or energy.
   • He has insane aura.
   • this genuinely shocked me omfg his aura is insane 😭 2024 June 2, @opaltaerae, Twitter, archived from the original on 06 Jun 2024:
   • how can he still have aura even without showing his face 2024 February 26, @lfcemii, 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)lol 2024 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 clip of Kim stoically shooting at a competition in May spread exponentially online after her Olympic appearance, with posts citing her “aura,” current slang for an aspirational level of cool. 2024 August 2, Annie Aguiar, “Who’s Winning Internet Gold at the Olympics?”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 02 Aug 2024:
   • Tht Nigga [Adolf Hitler] has no aura He dress like a medieval Queer 2023 December 20, @sugarsmorecake, Twitter, archived from the original on 06 Jun 2024:
   • Near-synonym: rizz
5. (countable, uncountable) A subjective sensation experienced at the onset of a neurological condition, especially a migraine headache or epileptic seizure.
6. (countable, uncountable) 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:
7. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) A gentle breeze, a zephyr.

Forms

Deriveds

aqua aura · auraless · auric · opal aura · auralike · aura farming · pearl aura · angel aura · auratic · auraful · aura farm · auraed · hype moments and aura · flame aura

Synonyms

feeling · spirit · vibe · air · mood · rizz

Translations (51)

ru а́ура (the distinctive atmosphere or quality associated with someone or something) · pl aura (an invisible force surrounding a living creature) · pl atmosfera (the distinctive atmosphere or quality associated with someone or something) · fi aura (sensation experienced by some people with epilepsy before a seizure) · ka აურა (an invisible force surrounding a living creature) · fi aura (an invisible force surrounding a living creature) · pl aura (the distinctive atmosphere or quality associated with someone or something) · cs aura (an invisible force surrounding a living creature) · ko 령기 (the distinctive atmosphere or quality associated with someone or something) · de Aura (the distinctive atmosphere or quality associated with someone or something) · it aura (sensation experienced by some people with epilepsy before a seizure) · is ára (an invisible force surrounding a living creature) · bg аура (an invisible force surrounding a living creature) · el αύρα (the distinctive atmosphere or quality associated with someone or something) · sv aura (an invisible force surrounding a living creature) · es aura (the distinctive atmosphere or quality associated with someone or something) · sv aura (the distinctive atmosphere or quality associated with someone or something) · pl nastrój (the distinctive atmosphere or quality associated with someone or something) · el αύρα (an invisible force surrounding a living creature) · sv aura (sensation experienced by some people with epilepsy before a seizure) · cmn 靈氣 /灵气 (the distinctive atmosphere or quality associated with someone or something) · it aura (the distinctive atmosphere or quality associated with someone or something) · it aura (an invisible force surrounding a living creature) · pt aura (an invisible force surrounding a living creature) · ko 분위기 (the distinctive atmosphere or quality associated with someone or something) · ja 霊気 (the distinctive atmosphere or quality associated with someone or something) · cmn 靈氣 /灵气 (an invisible force surrounding a living creature) · bg атмосфера (the distinctive atmosphere or quality associated with someone or something) · ru аура (an invisible force surrounding a living creature) · cy awra (an invisible force surrounding a living creature) · pl klimat (the distinctive atmosphere or quality associated with someone or something) · nl aura (an invisible force surrounding a living creature) · eo aŭro (an invisible force surrounding a living creature) · ja オーラ (the distinctive atmosphere or quality associated with someone or something) · is geislahjúpur (an invisible force surrounding a living creature) · ca aura (an invisible force surrounding a living creature) · cy awra (the distinctive atmosphere or quality associated with someone or something) · da aura (an invisible force surrounding a living creature) · pl aura (sensation experienced by some people with epilepsy before a seizure) · pl pole biologiczne (an invisible force surrounding a living creature) · fr aura (an invisible force surrounding a living creature) · ja 雰囲気 (the distinctive atmosphere or quality associated with someone or something) · es aura (an invisible force surrounding a living creature) · ru атмосфе́ра (the distinctive atmosphere or quality associated with someone or something) · ko 영기 (the distinctive atmosphere or quality associated with someone or something) · fi aura (the distinctive atmosphere or quality associated with someone or something) · ko 오라 (an invisible force surrounding a living creature) · fr aura (the distinctive atmosphere or quality associated with someone or something) · kix ūohāh (the distinctive atmosphere or quality associated with someone or something) · bg излъчване (the distinctive atmosphere or quality associated with someone or something) · ja オーラ (an invisible force surrounding a living creature)