airy vs substantial

airy

adj
  • Not based on reality; having no solid foundation 

  • light-hearted; vivacious 

  • Having the light and aerial tints true to nature. 

  • an airy situation 

  • Spacious, well lit, well ventilated. 

  • Relating or belonging to air; high in air; aerial. 

  • Consisting of air. 

  • Resembling air; thin; unsubstantial; not material; airlike. 

  • Having an affected manner; being in the habit of putting on airs; affectedly grand. 

  • Relating to the spirit or soul; delicate; graceful. 

  • Open to a free current of air; exposed to the air; breezy. 

substantial

adj
  • Not imaginary; real; actual; true; veritable. 

  • Most important; essential. 

  • Having a substance; actually existing. 

  • Corporeal; material; firm. 

  • Possessed of goods or an estate; moderately wealthy. 

  • Satisfying; having sufficient substance to be nourishing or filling. 

  • Large in size, quantity, or value; ample; significant. 

  • Having good substance; strong; stout; solid; firm. 

noun
  • Anything having substance; an essential part. 

How often have the words airy and substantial occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )