body language

noun

: the gestures, movements, and mannerisms by which a person or animal communicates with others

Examples of body language in a Sentence

We could tell from his body language that he was nervous.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There’s barely any dialogue in the last moments of the game, but all of them convey worlds of emotion with their eyes and body language, raising the kind of philosophical character questions fans can fervently interrogate for years to come. Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 28 June 2025 The secret lies in six specific body language moves. Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025 What resonates most strongly is the film’s subtler or more emotional moments — the camera lingering on a man left holding a stick after his dog fails to come back from a swim or the scene where Brody’s son mimics his depressed father’s body language at the dinner table. Brent Lang, Variety, 20 June 2025 The mannequins’ body language shows surprise, peevishness, but also a kind of shared attraction, as if showing off their figures to each other. John Birdsall june 20, Literary Hub, 20 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for body language

Word History

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of body language was in 1885

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Body language.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/body%20language. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

body language

noun
: movements (as with the hands) or posture used as a means of expression

More from Merriam-Webster on body language

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