1
: a movement usually of the body or limbs that expresses or emphasizes an idea, sentiment, or attitude
raised his hand overhead in a gesture of triumph
2
: the use of motions of the limbs or body as a means of expression
3
: something said or done by way of formality or courtesy, as a symbol or token, or for its effect on the attitudes of others
… a political gesture to draw popular support …—
V. L. Parrington
V. L. Parrington
gestured; gesturing
: to make a gesture (see gesture entry 1 sense 1)
: to express or direct by a gesture (see gesture entry 1 sense 1)
Synonyms
Examples of gesture in a Sentence
Noun
Specific gestures can indicate particular moods.
His arm was raised in a gesture of defiance.
Verb
She gestured towards the fireplace.
He gestured at his audience.
The room was filled with angry people shouting and gesturing.
He gestured to his partner to leave.
Recent Examples on the WebSasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 18 Apr. 2024
The proliferation of bad faith gestures toward political change and the aestheticized consumption of other people’s suffering sickens me, especially when these expressions still play into the financial objectives of oil barons, arms dealers, and other vampires.
—Seyward Darby, Longreads, 17 Apr. 2024
Goldberg feigned an unamused smile for the first part of the hug, but came around and put her arms around Haines back to reciprocate the gesture.
—EW.com, 15 Apr. 2024
Reviewed:The best music streaming services in 2024 Touchscreen gestures can be confusing
Learning the taps for the touchscreen is also challenging.
—Jennifer Jolly, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
However, using gestures to control the projection is difficult, and seeing the messages in sunlight is impossible.
—Kyle Barr / Gizmodo, Quartz, 11 Apr. 2024
The decisions get more clear and circle through one another, often revealing that an earlier gesture which might have appeared random or unmoored was somehow necessary all along.
—Kadish Morris, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2024
To make the act of this thoughtful gesture smoother, flower delivery services were created to bring more ease to the process.
—Jacqueline Laurean Yates, ABC News, 10 Apr. 2024
The gesture comes amid rumors that the 32-time Grammy winner is planning to go on tour in support of her latest album, Cowboy Carter, which recently debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 9 Apr. 2024
Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2024
The cub runs over to the fence, stands up on its back legs, briefly changes direction and tries again before another individual comes up behind it and seemingly gestures to catch it.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2024
By giving herself license to venture into the absurd, Parks makes connections that historians can only gesture toward.
—Chris Klimek, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2024
The captain, Terry Henry, walks back past Mr. Feliciano, seeming to laugh and gesture toward him.
—Ainara Tiefenthäler, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2024
Local officials gesture enthusiastically to agricultural cooperatives boasting cutting edge technology and model villages that facilitate access to social services and promote entrepreneurship.
—Jonathan M. Hansen, TIME, 7 Apr. 2024
The extremist Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the assault, but Kremlin officials continue to gesture to their more immediate enemy — a Ukrainian government that has resisted Russia’s costly and bloody full-scale invasion for more than two years.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2024
Jovic was called for his second technical foul, meaning an automatic ejection, midway through the third quarter after gesturing his arm in disgust following a foul call.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024
De León did his interview, grinning and gesturing with no worry in the world.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024
Noun
In March, Minnesota Timberwolves player Rudy Gobert was fined $100,000 for making a money gesture at a referee, insinuating the official influenced a game’s outcome because of bettors.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 18 Apr. 2024
The proliferation of bad faith gestures toward political change and the aestheticized consumption of other people’s suffering sickens me, especially when these expressions still play into the financial objectives of oil barons, arms dealers, and other vampires.
—Seyward Darby, Longreads, 17 Apr. 2024
Goldberg feigned an unamused smile for the first part of the hug, but came around and put her arms around Haines back to reciprocate the gesture.
—EW.com, 15 Apr. 2024
Reviewed:The best music streaming services in 2024 Touchscreen gestures can be confusing
Learning the taps for the touchscreen is also challenging.
—Jennifer Jolly, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
However, using gestures to control the projection is difficult, and seeing the messages in sunlight is impossible.
—Kyle Barr / Gizmodo, Quartz, 11 Apr. 2024
The decisions get more clear and circle through one another, often revealing that an earlier gesture which might have appeared random or unmoored was somehow necessary all along.
—Kadish Morris, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2024
To make the act of this thoughtful gesture smoother, flower delivery services were created to bring more ease to the process.
—Jacqueline Laurean Yates, ABC News, 10 Apr. 2024
The gesture comes amid rumors that the 32-time Grammy winner is planning to go on tour in support of her latest album, Cowboy Carter, which recently debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 9 Apr. 2024
Verb
When Blanche questioned a prospective juror who had filmed videos of Upper West Siders celebrating the 2020 election results, Trump muttered something under his breath and gestured aggressively.
—Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2024
The cub runs over to the fence, stands up on its back legs, briefly changes direction and tries again before another individual comes up behind it and seemingly gestures to catch it.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2024
By giving herself license to venture into the absurd, Parks makes connections that historians can only gesture toward.
—Chris Klimek, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2024
The captain, Terry Henry, walks back past Mr. Feliciano, seeming to laugh and gesture toward him.
—Ainara Tiefenthäler, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2024
Local officials gesture enthusiastically to agricultural cooperatives boasting cutting edge technology and model villages that facilitate access to social services and promote entrepreneurship.
—Jonathan M. Hansen, TIME, 7 Apr. 2024
The extremist Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the assault, but Kremlin officials continue to gesture to their more immediate enemy — a Ukrainian government that has resisted Russia’s costly and bloody full-scale invasion for more than two years.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2024
Jovic was called for his second technical foul, meaning an automatic ejection, midway through the third quarter after gesturing his arm in disgust following a foul call.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024
De León did his interview, grinning and gesturing with no worry in the world.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gesture.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near gesture
Cite this Entry
“Gesture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gesture. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
gesture
1 of 2 noun
ges·ture
ˈjes-chər 
ˈjesh-
1
: a movement of the body or limbs that expresses or emphasizes an idea or a feeling
2
: something said or done by way of courtesy or for its effect on other people
a political gesture
gesture
2 of 2 verb
gestured; gesturing
: to make or direct with a gesture
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